Swimmer Kimura Gives Japan 2nd gold at Paris Paralympics with Win in 50 Freestyle; Backstroker Kubota Takes Silver

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:12 JST, September 1, 2024

PARIS — Swimmer Keiichi Kimura gave Japan its second gold medal of the Paris Paralympics when he won the men’s 50-meter freestyle in the S11 visual impairment class on Saturday.

Fellow swimmer Kota Kubota added a silver medal to Japan’s tally by placing second in the men’s 100-meter backstroke in the S8 physical impairment class.

Kimura’s gold in 25.98 seconds followed Takayuki Suzuki’s victory in men’s 50 breaststroke in the SB3 physical impairment category on Thursday.

For Kimura, it was the ninth Paralympic medal of his career and second gold after he won the men’s 100 butterfly at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. He previously medaled in the 50 freestyle at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.

Kimura, who had finished fourth overall in his qualifying with the time of 26.74 seconds, got out in front from the start in the final and held on to win by 0.13 seconds.

“It went perfect from the warmup to moment I touched the wall at the finish,” Kimura said of his sub-26-second victory.

The Shiga Prefecture native, who lost his eyesight at age 2 due to a congenital disease, is competing in his fifth straight Paralympics dating back to Beijing in 2008. He will next attempt to defend his 100 butterfly title on Friday.

Kubota finished second his race in 1 minute 7.03 seconds, which was better than his qualifying time of 1.07.56 but well off his personal best of 1:05.56.

“I am a bit dissatisfied,” Kubota said. “The time was not as I expected and if I had made my personal best, I could have won the gold.”

Spain’s Inigo Llopis Sanz won the gold in 1.05.58.

A native of Chiba Prefecture, Kubota was born with a deformed left arm and swims with his right arm and legs. He finished fifth in the event at the Tokyo Paralympics and as the silver medalist at last year’s World Championships.