Paris 2024: A look back at Para swimmer Ihar Boki’s unstoppable campaign in Paris

Ihar Boki was unbeatable at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, winning all five of his swimming events. This brings his total gold medals to 21, making him the most decorated Para swimmer ever.

Competing in his fourth Paralympics, Boki set a new world record in the men’s 200m individual medley SM13 on September 3, with a time of 2:02.03. He finished 4.63 seconds ahead of French swimmer Alex Portal, who won silver.

Boki, who is now 30, started swimming when he was young and has always been driven to compete. He first competed at London 2012, where he won five golds and one silver, and broke four world records. At Rio 2016, he won six gold medals, and at Tokyo 2020, he won five more.

Boki says that winning never gets old for him. He loves swimming and always strives to improve his performance. He doesn’t set specific goals but aims to win as much as he can.

In Paris, he won gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S13, 400m freestyle S13, 100m backstroke S13, 100m butterfly S13, and 200m individual medley SM13.

Boki believes his success comes from a strong partnership with his coach. He says it’s important for both athlete and coach to trust each other and adapt the training to what’s best for the athlete.

He also sees younger competitors, like the French brothers Alex and Kylian Portal, as future stars. Alex is 22, and Kylian is 17. Boki knows they will likely surpass him one day but is happy to be ahead for now.

Boki accepts that losing is part of sports. He believes it’s important to handle losses with a positive attitude, as it helps prepare for future races and improve performance.