Imagen
Teresa Perales of Spain celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women's 50m Backstroke - S5 on day 9 of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Teresa Perales

Swimming
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16
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Born in 1975, Perales started swimming at age 19, after developing neuropathy. Her first international appearance was in 1998 at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she won a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle.

Just two years later, Perales made her Paralympic Games debut, winning a silver in the 50m butterfly and four bronze medals, in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and the 50m backstroke at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Perales finished the World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina with a total of eight medals, but none of them were gold.

After her five medals in Sydney, Perales managed to improve this result at Athens 2004, adding two gold medals to her collection.

Being a double-Paralympic champion, Perales again could not secure that world title at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, finishing second in the 50m butterfly and third in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke.

Returning to the Paralympic Games stage two years later in Beijing, Perales put on her best performance yet, securing three Paralympic golds and breaking two world records. She won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle in a world-record time of 35.88, and in the 100m freestyle in the world record time of 1:16.65. One more silver medal followed in the 50m backstroke, and a bronze in the 100m breaststroke.

After Beijing, Perales, who was voted onto the IPC Athletes Council, took some time off the sport to give birth to her child before returning to the international stage in July 2011 at the IPC Swimming European Championships in Berlin. And what a come back she had, winning a total of eight medals, including one gold in the 100m freestyle, four silver and three bronze medals.

The London 2012 Paralympics were Perales' fourth Games, and she retained her 100m freestyle title for the third consecutive time.

For Rio 2016, Perales switched tactics and decided to focus on the 50m backstroke - an event which she had never won gold in despte many podium appearances. Having taken the world title in 2015 and European title in early 2016, Perales managed to claim her first Paralympic gold in the event in Rio.

Perales is still going strong in the pool, and remains one of the swimmers to beat in the S5 events chased by Norway's Sarah-Louise Rung.

Aside from her athletic exploits, Perales is an excellent advocate for the Paralympic Movement and speaks publicly about her experiences as a Para athlete to inspire the next generation.

Results

Unit Date Rank
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Final Round 3
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Heat 1 3
Women's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heat 1 6
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 1
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 1
IPC Swimming World Championships Durban 2006 (Durban, South Africa)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heats 3
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heats 3
Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Final Round 4
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Final Round 2
Women's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts Final Round 4
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Final Round 3
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Heat 1 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 1
IPC Swimming World Championships Mar del Plata 2002 (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Final Round 2
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 2
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heats (S3-5) 2
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Final Round 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heats 3
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heats 3
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heats 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heats 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2
IPC Swimming World Championships Christchurch 1998 (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 400 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 4
Women's 4x50 m Medley Open Final Round 4
Women's 4x50 m Freestyle Open Final Round 4
Women's 100 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 7
Women's 100 m Freestyle S6 Heats 6
Women's 50 m Butterfly S6 Final Round 8
Women's 50 m Butterfly S6 Heats 7
Women's 50 m Freestyle S6 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S6 Heats 1
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 1 1
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 3
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heat 2 1
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 2
Women's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts Final Round 5
Women's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Final Round 7
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2012-08-30 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 2012-08-30 1
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Final Round 2012-08-31 3
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Heat 2 2012-08-31 2
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2012-09-01 2
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2012-09-01 2
Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts Final Round 2012-09-03 4
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Final Round 2012-09-04 3
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB4 Heat 2 2012-09-04 2
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 2012-09-07 2
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heat 1 2012-09-07 1
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts Final Round 2012-09-07 5
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2012-09-08 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2012-09-08 1
2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (Glasgow, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Heat 1 2015-07-13 4
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final 1 2015-07-13 1
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2015-07-13 3
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Final 1 2015-07-13 5
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2015-07-15 3
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2015-07-15 3
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final 1 2015-07-16 2
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heat 1 2015-07-16 2
Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts Final 1 2015-07-16 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2015-07-17 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2015-07-17 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Final 1 2015-07-18 3
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Heat 1 2015-07-18 4
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts Final 1 2015-07-19 6
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2015-07-19 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2015-07-19 3
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2016-09-08 2
Women's 200 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2016-09-08 3
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final Round 2016-09-10 5
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heat 2 2016-09-10 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2016-09-12 4
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2016-09-12 1
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Final Round 2016-09-15 2
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM5 Heat 2 2016-09-15 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2016-09-16 1
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final Round 2016-09-16 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2016-09-17 1
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final Round 2016-09-17 2
Mexico City 2017 World Para Swimming Championships (Mexico City, Mexico)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 2017-12-02 4
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2017-12-02 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final 1 2017-12-04 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2017-12-04 2
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2017-12-05 1
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 1 2017-12-05 1
London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2019-09-09 5
Women's 50 m Freestyle S5 Final 1 2019-09-09 5
Mixed 4x50 m Medley 20pts Final 1 2019-09-10 6
Mixed 4x50 m Medley 20pts Heat 2 2019-09-10 6
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Final 1 2019-09-11 7
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Heat 2 2019-09-11 7
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Final 1 2019-09-12 4
Women's 50 m Butterfly S5 Heat 2 2019-09-12 2
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts Final 1 2019-09-13 3
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final 1 2019-09-14 1
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2019-09-14 4
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (Tokyo, Japan)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Final 2021-08-26 5
Mixed 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Heat 2 2021-08-26 2
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Heat 2 2021-08-26 3
Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 Final 2021-08-26 5
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Heat 2 2021-08-30 2
Women's 50 m Backstroke S5 Final 2021-08-30 2
Women's 4x100 m Medley 34pts Final 2021-09-02 5