Almost unreal images. Those of a young Chinese swimmer who caused a sensation on Thursday in the Paris La Défense Arena swimming pool in the final of the 50m freestyle (S5 category) in para-swimming. While China signed a resounding hat-trick, it was Jincheng Guo, 23, who stole the show. Thirty seconds, 29”33 to be precise, of madness during which he only breathed once.
While his opponents had already finished their swim, the 23-year-old swimmer with the shaved head continued his phenomenal one, undulating and cutting through the water like a torpedo.
His fifth medal in Paris
It was only after 13 seconds that he (finally) got his head out of the water to take a breath for the first, and last time. Well ahead of his rivals, Jincheng Guo had nothing left to do but finish the job. He triumphed without difficulty and set a new world record of 29”33, beating his own mark set a year ago at the world championships (29”78). Breathtaking.
Star of these Paralympic Games, the Chinese won his fifth medal in Paris, the third gold after the 4x50m mixed freestyle and 4x50m mixed medley 20 points relays.
- RMC Sport