A Paralympic swimmer, born with short legs and no arms, has remarkably ‘obliterated’ the competition in Paris.
After the 2024 Paris Olympics wrapped up last month, the Paralympics have been captivating sports enthusiasts around the world for the past few weeks.
Much like the Olympics, the Paralympics have given us plenty to talk about.
A standout moment for fans occurred on Monday (2 September) when Brazilian swimmer Gabriel Araujo clinched gold in the men’s 200m freestyle S2.
During the Tokyo 2020 Games, Araujo secured gold in the men’s 50-meter backstroke and 200-meter freestyle events.
However, he faced disappointment in the 100-meter backstroke, where he took silver behind Chile’s Alberto Abarza.
According to the Tokyo Paralympics website, the Brazilian was just 2.07 seconds behind Abarza, which added to his frustration.
Araujo’s aim for the Paris Games was straightforward: to improve on his results from Japan.
He has undoubtedly accomplished that and more.
Earlier this week, on his path to victory, Araujo set an Americas record before dominating the field in the men’s 200m freestyle S2 final at the La Defense Arena.
Following his impressive win, Araujo spoke to the press in Paris.
As reported by World Paralympics Swimming, Araujo said: “I have a feeling of completed mission. I came all this way to Paris to win the three golds and now I’ve done it. I’m really happy.
“I feel like I am ‘The Rocket Man’. Rockets don’t go back, they always go straight and forwards.”
A clip of the final has gone viral on Reddit, leaving viewers in awe.
The footage shows Abarza making an incredibly fast start, getting three to four strokes ahead early on. However, the Brazilian ultimately secured an impressive victory to the delight of the fans.
Many users have commented on the Reddit post featuring the race.
“Brazilian paralympic swimmer Gabriel Araujo born with short legs and no arms obliterates the field in the 100m backstroke,” wrote the Reddit user who shared the post.
“Bro has no arms. Still a better swimmer than me. What a legend,” commented one user.
Another added: “What an amazing performance,” while a third remarked: “This is f**king incredible.”