Paralympic swimmer born with short legs and no arms obliterates the competition leaving people stunned
Gabriel Araujo did extremely well in Tokyo, and hoped to do even better in the Paris Paralympics
A Paralympic swimmer who was born with short legs and no arms has absolutely 'obliterated' the field in Paris.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics last month, the Paralympics has thrilled sports fans across the globe for the past few weeks.
Like the Olympics, there have been a bunch of talking points.
A particular fan highlight came on Monday (2 September), when Brazilian swimmer Gabriel Araujo won the men's 200m freestyle S2 gold.
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During the Tokyo 2020 Games, Araujo claimed the coveted gold in the men’s 50-meter backstroke and 200-meter freestyle.
However, he was left disappointed in the 100-meter backstroke, after taking silver behind Chile’s Alberto Abarza.
The Tokyo Paralympics website notes the Brazilian was just 2.07 seconds behind Abarza, adding to the frustration.
Araujo's goal for the Paris Games? To simply better the results he achieved in Japan.
Well, he's certainly achieved that and then some.
On his way to victory earlier this week, the athlete beat an Americas record before brushing aside the entire competition in the men’s 200m freestyle S2 final at the La Defense Arena.
Following his hugely impressive victory, the Olympic champion spoke to press in Paris.
As per 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 swimming final has gone viral on Reddit, leaving the vast majority of viewers stunned.
The footage sees Abarza make an incredibly fast start, to the point where he is three to four strokes ahead in the early stages, and the Brazilian went on to claim an impressive victory in front of delighted fans.
Many have flocked to the comments section of 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," the Reddit user who made the post penned.
"Bro has no arms. Still a better swimmer than me. What a legend," one person commented.
A second added: "What an amazing performance," while a third remarked: "This is f**king incredible."
Topics: Paralympics, Reddit, Viral, Sport
Callum Jones