The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro had no shortage of amazing performances and world records over the 10 days of the swimming competition. Among those performances was Brad Snyder’s world record in the S11 100 freestyle, which shattered a mark that has been on the books for 30 years, the longest of any Paralympic world record.
Swimming in the event on the eighth day of the meet, Snyder posted a 57.16 in prelims to set a Paralympic record and set himself up to challenge fellow American John Morgan’s world record of 56.67. In the 30 year old’s final race of the Paralympic Games, he separated himself from the field down the second 50 to get to the wall first in 56.15, taking a second off of his prelims time and putting his name in history. Check out his race video below.
That swim also gave him his third gold medal of the meet, after winning the 400 and 50 freestyle from earlier in the competition. Snyder was the defending gold medalist in those events, having won the 50 and 400 freestyles in London at the 2012 Paralympics. Snyder lost his eyesight just one year before those London Paralympics from an IED explosion while serving in the United States Navy in Afghanistan. You can read more about Snyder’s swim here.
Congratulations Brad Snyder on earning Swimming World’s Performance of the Week!
Way to go Brad!!!
Patty Eppingher
What a great race!
I loved watching and following the Paralympics this year!
AWESOME
Woo Hoo!!