Swimmer Boki wins 17th Paralympic gold

Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki clocked 54.13 seconds in the Men’s 100m Butterfly - S13 to win gold at the Summer Paralympic Games in Paris. France’s Alex Portal came in second, Spain's Enrique Jose Alhambra Mollar claimed bronze.

On Friday, Ihar Boki and his teammate Yauheni Kavalionak will take part in the 100m Backstroke at Paris La Défense Arena.

In the mixed zone, the champion shared his emotions after the victory:

It was my first competition in a long time and it was both thrilling and challenging. It did not pan out the way I planned. I hope I will perform more confidently in the future.

The presence of fans in the stands probably makes the whole thing more exciting.

Sure thing. I felt this way before at my first Paralympics in London. Here you can also feel the intense and exciting atmosphere. The impressions are amazing.

How does it feel to win your 17th Paralympic gold?

A little tired (laughs). And euphoric from success, of course. After all, you work really hard pushing yourself to the limit for four years, you want to show the top of your game, because it is very important to win. Victories give you the strength to move on.

Frenchman Alex Portal turned out to be a formidable challenger during the morning session and in the final…

I wouldn’t say that I was too tense in the morning, but in the evening – yes, he performed better. He is a young athlete who has noticeably improved his performance. Due to his young age, his body recovers more easily and quickly. I think he will become a champion in the future.

You won 100m Butterfly at the Paralympics in London, Rio and Tokyo. Was it a matter of principle to achieve success in Paris as well?

I think so. I want to remain a champion in my disciplines as long as possible. After all, young athletes are growing up, while I am not getting any younger. Let's see how long I can remain the

Press service of the NOC of Belarus

Photos courtesy of Sports Panorama