Maria Carolina Santiago, from Pernambuco, won the first gold medal of the Brazilian Paralympic swimming team in the sport’s world championship, which began this Sunday in Madeira Island, Portugal.
The achievement came in the 100 meters butterfly race of the S12 class (visually impaired). With a time of 1 minute and 07 seconds, Maria Carolina, who has Morning Glory syndrome, a congenital alteration in the retina that reduces the field of vision, was 17 hundredths ahead of Italian Alessia Berra, silver medalist.
The Spanish Maria Delgado Nadal closed the podium with 1 minute and 09 seconds. In addition to gold, she also took silver in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 01 minute, 09 seconds and 68 hundredths.
Carol should still compete in the next few days in the 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle, in the 100 meters breaststroke and in two relays. The swimmer from Grêmio Náutico União de Porto Alegre is one of the highlights of the green and yellow delegation, made up of 29 swimmers.
The other Brazilian gold medal, on this first day of disputes at the Olympic swimming pool complex in Funchal, went to Gabriel Bandeira, class S14 (intellectually disabled). He was the best in the 200 meters freestyle, with a time of 01 minute 52 seconds and 42 hundredths (world championship record). Second place went to Canadian Nicolas Bennett and third place went to Australian Benjamin Hance.
This Monday, Gabriel Bandeira swims the 100m backstroke. The other three silver medals of the national team came with the duo Samuel de Oliveira, with 33 seconds and 28 hundredths, and Joana Neves, with 37 seconds and 14 hundredths, of the S5 class (athletes with physical-motor limitations) in the 50-meter freestyle event. , and with Phelipe Rodrigues, S10 class (athletes with less severe physical-motor limitations). He completed the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 23 seconds and 76 hundredths.
Swimmer Patrícia Santos, from the SB3 class (wheelchair users), was also on the podium by obtaining bronze in the 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 59 seconds and 65 hundredths. The championship brings together approximately 600 athletes from 59 countries and continues until next Saturday (18).
