Sport week: Top moments in Para swimming

Para swimming has been part of the Paralympic Games programme since the first edition at Rome 1960 and has featured some of the greatest names in the Games history.

From a swimmer with 41 Paralympic gold medals to the first refugee athlete, here are some of the most memorable Para swimming moments.

Sensational Zorn

The most decorated Paralympian in history, USA’s swimmer Trisha Zorn competed in the last of her seven Games at Athens 2004. She left Greece with a bronze in the 100m backstroke S12 – her 55th Paralympic medal (41 of them gold).

Paralympic Olympian
 
After becoming the first amputee swimmer to qualify for the Olympic Games at Beijing 2008, Natalie du Toit competed at her second Paralympics in China taking five gold medals in five events. The South African star retired after London 2012 with 13 Paralympic golds.

Rio crowd goes wild 

Daniel Dias was one of the faces of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and he did not disappoint the Brazilian crowd. Fans at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio went wild as Dias took his total of Paralympic medals to 24, more than any other male swimmer in the Games history.

Super Ellie

A 17-year-old Eleanor 'Ellie' Simmonds won the hearts of British fans at the 2012 Paralympic Games with four medals, including two gold and two world records at the London Aquatics Centre.

More than sport

Ibrahim Al Hussein became the first refugee swimmer to compete in the Paralympic Games. He carried the flag of the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team at the Opening Ceremony in Rio 2016 and took part in the 50m and 100m freestyle S9.

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