Paris Paralympics 2024: Australian swimmer Alexa Leary swims ...
PARIS: Beloved Australian swimmer Alexa Leary broke a Paralympic record but had it snatched from her by an American rival only a few minutes later.
The 23-year-old from the Sunshine Coast blasted through her heat of the women's 50m freestyle S10 event in 27.69 seconds on Thursday night (AEST).
Her rapid swim at the Paris La Defense Arena broke the Paralympic record in the 50m freestyle S9 event, which doesn't exist at these Games.
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The non-existence of the 50m freestyle S9 category means Leary and the USA's Christie Raleigh Crossley, who both have an acquired brain injury, are competing in a classification up.
And just minutes after Leary produced her sizzling swim on the opening day of Paris Games competition, Raleigh Crossley wiped away her Paralympic record when she stopped the clock at 27.28 in the second of two heats.
Australia's Alexa Leary after setting a new Paralympic record in Paris. Nine
Raleigh Crossley not only claimed the Paralympic record, but the world record.
Leary will be joined in the 50m freestyle S10 final by Australian teammate Jasmine Greenwood, who posted a time of 28.23.
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Among the other top Australian results in the first swimming session was a swim by Tom Gallagher, who cannoned through his heat of the men's 50m freestyle S10 event in 23.33.
The former lifesaver fell just 0.17 of a second short of the world record and beat the second-ranked swimmer of the heats by 0.44 of a second.
Gallagher will race in the 50m freestyle S10 final with Dolphins teammate Rowan Crothers, who logged a time of 23.88 in the heats.
In the heats of the men's 400m freestyle S9 event, Australian pair Tim Hodge and Brenden Hall swam times of 4:19.31 and 4:19.49 respectively, advancing to the final as the fastest swimmers.
Hall had carried the Australian flag with wheelchair racing legend Madison de Rozario at the opening ceremony less than 24 hours earlier.
Leary, Greenwood, Gallagher, Crothers, Hodge and Hall will all chase gold on Friday morning (AEST).
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