Paris 2024: Awesome foursomes mixed relay swimmers battle it out

Former refugee Abbas Karimi, now a U.S. citizen, helped his team secure a podium finish in the mixed 4x50m Freestyle relay at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Karimi, who was born without arms, fled Afghanistan in 2013 and lived in Turkey for four years before moving to the U.S.

At the Tokyo 2020 Games, Karimi competed as part of the International Paralympic Committee’s Refugee Team, finishing in the top eight in the 50m Butterfly – S5 event. This time, he felt more prepared and confident. “I was not doing really well mentally and emotionally before, but now I’ve got everything under control,” Karimi said at the La Défense Arena.

Karimi, who became a U.S. citizen in 2022, joined the U.S. swim team and proudly accepted his first Paralympic medal. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without these amazing teammates,” he said.

Teammate Leanne Smith shared that the team had a strong performance in the heats and saved some energy for the final. “We had some more in the tank,” she noted. “It paid off, and we got the job done.”

Zach Shattuck, another teammate, described the hardest part of the event as the anxious wait while a scoreboard glitch was resolved. “The suspense was unreal,” he said. “My heart rate was probably higher waiting than it was during the race.”

Ellie Marks, another relay team member, admitted she was nervous about the relay but was happy to contribute. “I don’t want to fail other people,” she said. “It’s okay if I fail myself.”

In the final, China won gold, setting a new world record with a time of 2:14.98, improving on their Tokyo 2020 performance. “We were confident we would win,” said Chinese swimmer Lu Dong. “We saw our teammate touch the wall first.”

Brazil took the bronze medal, repeating their success from Tokyo. Daniel Xavier Mendes, thrilled with the result, said, “This is one of the best days of my life. My family is here supporting me, and it means everything.”

The mixed relay event showcased incredible performances and marked a memorable day in Para swimming at Paris 2024.