The first Summer Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, featuring eight sports, with swimming being one of the original eight. At that time, there were 62 swimming events—32 for men and 30 for women. Fast forward to the 2024 Paralympic Games, and the number of swimming events has grown to 141. This year, 24 swimmers carried flags during the opening ceremony.
Following the Paris Olympic Games, which became the most-streamed Olympics in history, there is a strong possibility that these Paralympics could become the most-watched of all time. Thirty-three swimmers will represent the U.S. in Paris, including 21 women and 12 men. With Para swimming starting yesterday, let’s look over the classifications and highlight some new U.S. athletes to watch.
What Does The ‘S’ Stand For In Para Swimming?
So, what does the ‘S’ stand for in Para swimming? Here’s a brief overview. Athletes are classified based on how their disability affects their swimming, with World Para Swimming identifying three types of impairments: physical, intellectual and visual.
The classification system uses ‘S’ for freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke; ‘SB’ for breaststroke; and ‘SM’ for individual medley. Classes 1-10 cover physical impairments, with lower numbers indicating a higher level of impairment. Classes 11-13 are for visual impairments, and Class 14 is for intellectual impairments.
Athletes with different disabilities race against each other because the classes are determined by how their impairments affect their swimming, rather than the disability itself.
U.S. Rising Stars to Watch in Paralympic Swimming
1.Noah Jaffe (Carlsbad, California)
Noah Jaffee, born with cerebral palsy, started swimming competitively at the age of 10. Making his Paralympic debut this year, the 21-year-old has already had World Championship success. In 2023, he won four medals in Manchester, England: two bronze, one silver and one gold. He earned bronze in the 400 freestyle S8 and the 100 butterfly S8. At the same World Championships, he secured silver in the 50 freestyle S8 and gold in the 100 freestyle S8.
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2.Olivia Chambers (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Olivia Chambers began swimming at the age of 4 and set her first state record at just 7 years old. At 16, she started to lose her eyesight. In the 2023 World Championships, Chambers won six medals, including four bronze and two silver. Her silver medals were in the 200 medley SM13 and the 400 freestyle S13. She earned bronze in the 100 breaststroke SB13, 100 butterfly S13, 50 freestyle S13 and 100 freestyle S13. Chambers currently swims at the University of Northern Iowa.
3.Christie Raleigh Crossley (Toms River, New Jersey)
On the first day of the 2024 Paralympic Games, Christie Raleigh Crossley set a world record in the 50 freestyle S10 with a time of 27.28. A 37-year-old mother from New Jersey, Raleigh Crossley began her college career at Florida State University.
In 2007, she was hit by a drunk driver, and the following year, she was involved in a hit-and-run accident as a pedestrian, which resulted in a brain injury. Later, she transferred to Rowan University to complete her collegiate career in Division III, where she won an NCAA Championship in the 100 butterfly.
In 2018, Raleigh Crossley discovered she had a blood tumor in her brain. Despite these challenges, she earned a gold medal in the 100 backstroke S9 at the 2023 World Championships.
4.Ali Truwit (Darien, Connecticut)
Ali Truwit is 24 years old and a former swimmer from Yale. In 1991, her mother, Jody, was the captain of Yale’s swimming and diving team.
Just two days after graduating, Truwit was attacked by a shark while vacationing with her former Yale teammate in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The shark bit off her foot and part of her leg. With perseverance, Truwit set a Para-American record at the Paralympic Trials with a time of 1:08.98 in the 100 backstroke S10 about a year after the attack.
5.Morgan Ray (St. Augustine, Florida)
Morgan Ray was born with achondroplasia and has always dreamed of swimming at the Paralympics. Now 22 years old, Ray is making his Paralympic debut after being an alternate for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. A silver medalist at the 2022 World Championships, he set a world record in the 200 breaststroke SB6 and won the U.S. Paralympics National Championships in 2023.
6.Grace Nuhfer (Greenwood, Indiana)
Grace Nuhfer, who specializes in butterfly, is making her Paralympic debut at the age of 22. She has brittle cornea syndrome and swims for the University of Akron. Nuhfer won a silver medal in the 50 freestyle S13 at the 2023 Parapan American Games and has set Para-American records. At the Paralympic Trials, she earned first place in the 100 butterfly S13.
7.Yaseen El-Demerdash (Overland Park, Kansas)
Yaseen El-Demerdash, 20, who was born with Poland syndrome, also had a successful performance at the 2023 Parapan American Games. He won four medals: gold in the 100 backstroke S10, silver in the 100 freestyle S10, bronze in the 50 freestyle S10 and silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay 34 points. In a 34-point relay, the total points of the swimmers’ classifications must not exceed 34.
El-Demerdash has held Para-American records.
8.Evan Wilkerson (Rolesville, North Carolina)
Evan Wilkerson, making his Paralympic debut at the age of 17, has been blind since birth. At the 2023 Parapan American Games, he won a silver medal in the 100 backstroke S12 and a bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke SB12. At the Paralympic Trials, Wilkerson secured first place in the 100 backstroke S12.
9.Jack O’Neil (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Jack O'Neil, 21, swims for the University of Wyoming and is also a triathlete. Due to congenital deformities in his left leg, he made the decision to have it amputated. At the 2023 Parapan American Games, O'Neil earned three silver medals: in the 100 backstroke S8, and in both the 4x100 freestyle relay and 4x100 medley relay, each 34 points.
10.Abbas Karimi (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Abbas Karimi, 27, was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, with no arms. He began swimming at the age of 13 and fled Afghanistan at 16. Karimi competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, where he served as the flag bearer for the Refugee Paralympic Team. In 2022, he became a U.S. citizen and, while competing for the U.S. at the World Championships, helped the team win gold in the 4x50 medley relay 20 points, setting a world record.
Upcoming Events
Swimming at the Paralympic Games in Paris will take place from August 29 to September 7.
For the full schedule, visit: Schedule & Results - 29 Aug Para Swimming (paralympic.org)
