Filipino American swimmer claims USA’s first Paralympics 2024 gold

Filipino American para swimmer Gia Pergolini made history in Paris on Friday, becoming the first Team USA athlete to win gold at the 2024 Paralympics.

She secured her victory in the 100-meter backstroke S13 with a time of 1:04.93, just shy of her world record. This win marks Pergolini’s second consecutive gold medal in this event, following her success in Tokyo 2020.

The 20-year-old Atlanta native, whose mother was born and raised in Manila, expressed her pride in representing the U.S.: “I’m just so happy to be here and representing one of the greatest countries in the world and getting its first gold medal Paralympics. It’s just unreal, especially after watching the Olympians dominate the Olympics, I wanted to do that here and I’m so glad I got to do that and end up achieving my goal.”