Brazilian women win bronze medals in Paralympic swimming

Mariana Gesteira, 29, and Mayara Petzold, 22, were on the podium this Tuesday (03) in swimming at the Paris Paralympics. Gesteira competed in the 100m backstroke in the S9 class, with physical and motor impairment. Petzold competed in the 50m butterfly in the S6 class, with moderate physical impairment. With these two achievements, Brazilian swimming now has 16 medals in Paris, including five gold, three silver and eight bronze.

Achievements

Mariana finished the race with a time of 1min09s27, just three hundredths behind the Spaniard Nuria Soto, who finished the competition with 1min09s24. Also in the 100m backstroke, the American Cristie Raleigh managed to break the Paralympic record with a time of 1min07s91. The Brazilian had a good start in the race, leading in the first half of the course. However, in the last 50 meters, Raleigh managed to take the lead. After a fierce battle with Soto for the silver medal, the Spaniard managed to hit the edge first by a hair's breadth.

^{Mariana Gesteira in the 100m backstroke in the S9 class, in Paris (Photo: reproduction/Ana Patrícia Almeida/CPB)}

The Rio native, who was born with Arnold-Chiari Syndrome, a malformation of the central nervous system that causes imbalance and loss of coordination, started swimming at the age of 14. Due to fainting spells, she decided to stop the sport in 2009, but returned four years later and won several medals throughout her career.

Mayara finished the race with a time of 37s51, behind only the Chinese Yuyan Jiang, who won gold, and Doamin Liu, who won silver. She had to make up for it after falling a little behind at the start. However, in the final stretch, she managed to beat the Ukrainian Anna Hontar and took third place on the podium.

The athlete, who is from Minas Gerais, was born with a disability similar to dwarfism. She started playing the sport at the age of four on medical advice and discovered the Paralympic sport at the age of 13.

^{Mayara Petzold in the 50m butterfly in the S6 class, in Paris (Photo: reproduction/Marcello Zambrana/CPB)}

Still swimming

Carol Santiago from Pernambuco came in fifth place in the 200m medley in the SM13 class. She finished the race in 2min30s05. The athlete was born with Morning Glory syndrome, a congenital alteration in the retina that causes a reduction in the field of vision. In Paris, Carol already has two gold medals and is currently the world record holder in the 50m freestyle, with 26s65, which was recorded at the 2023 Manchester World Championships.

Vitinho Almeida, just 16 years old and the youngest athlete in Brazilian swimming, participated in the 100m backstroke in the S9 class. He came in fifth place in the competition with a time of 1min03s69.

Featured photo: on the left, Mariana Gesteira, bronze winner, on the podium with her coach Leonardo Miglinas; on the right, Mayara Petzold, bronze winner, on the podium (Reproduction/Ana Patrícia Almeida/CPB/Ana Patrícia Almeida/CPB/Montage by Anna Gabriela Virgulino)