2020 TOKYO SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Wednesday, August 25 – Friday, September 3, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 9 AM / Finals: 5 PM (Local time)
- Event Page
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- How To Watch
- Full Aquatics Schedule
- Start Lists / Live Results
EXPLANATION OF PARA CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
- There are 14 classifications for Paralympic swimmers, typically denoted as “S” followed by a number.
- “SB” designates an athletes classification for breaststroke events
- “SM” is for individual medley events
- Athletes with physical impairments are classified in S1-S10, SB1-SB9, and SM1-SM10 with numbers 1-10 ranging from more severe activity limitations to less severe limitations.
- Athletes with visual impairments are classified in S/SB11-13.
- Athletes with intellectual impairments are classified in S/SB14.
- The Paralympics are not the “Para Olympics” or anything similar. The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee are separate organizations with separate leadership and separate events that happen to have a partnership to organize their crowned jewels more efficiently.
A trio of Paralympic records, along with one World record, fell on day 8 prelims of the Tokyo Paralympics. Taking down the first Paralympic record of the session was Italy’s Antonio Fantin, taking 0.04s off his own S6 men’s 100 free Paralympic mark at 1:04.16 from two days ago leading off the 34 points men’s 4×100 free relay. He owns the May 2021 World record at 1:03.76.
Rounding out the top three prelims times were Brazil’s Talisson Glock (1:05.94) and Colombia’s Nelson Crispin Corzo (1:06.85).
Swimming just seven one-hundredths off the SB11 women’s 100 breast Paralympic record was China’s Ma Jia at 1:23.09. Placing second in the event was Cyprus’ Karolina Pelendritou, setting a new European continental record of 1:24.54.
In the SB13 men’s 100 breast, Germany’s Taliso Engel chipped 0.06s off the 2013 World record with a new standard of 1:03.52. Placing second was USA’s David Henry Abrahams, establishing a new Americas continental record of 1:04.04.
In the S5 men’s 50 free, China’s Zheng Tao put up a 31.81 in the heat before country-mate Yuan Weiyei‘s top prelims swim of 31.30. Yuan’s time bettered the 2012 Paralympic record as well as established a new Asian continental record. Former Paralympic rec0rd-holder, Brazil’s Daniel Dias, took third in the heats at 32.65.
More Day 8 Top Seeds:
- SB7 Women’s 100 Breast: Mariia Pavlova (RPC), 1:33.15
- S10 Men’s 400 Free: Bas Takken (NED), 4:07.17
- SB11 Men’s 100 Breast: Rogier Dorsman (NED), 1:11.91
- SM9 Men’s 200 IM: Timothy Hodge (AUS), 2:17.41
- SM9 Women’s 200 IM: Sophie Pascoe (NZL), 2:34.55
- SB13 Women’s 100 Breast: Elena Krawzow (GER), 1:15.31