Canadian swimmer Sebastian Massabie has set a new world record while claiming gold at the Paralympics.
Massabie, 19, who was born in Toronto but now lives in Surrey, B.C., finished with a time of 35.61 seconds in the men’s S4 50-meter freestyle event on Friday.
That time broke his previous Paralympic record of 36.95, set in Friday morning’s heats, and smashed the world record of 36.25, set by Israel’s Ami Omer Dadaon in 2022.
Japan’s Takayuki Suzuki grabbed silver (36.85), while Dadaon took bronze (37.11).
The gold is Massabie’s first career Paralympic medal in his debut at the Games.
“Everything. “It means everything to me,” Massabie said when asked what swimming means to him after the race.
Massabie, who has cerebral palsy affecting his left side, finished fifth in the 100 freestyle and sixth in the 200 freestyle earlier in the Paralympics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
