Ami Dadaon comes first in men’s 200m freestyle, having earlier taken gold in 50m and 100m freestyle, as well as 150m individual medley.
By Yulia Karra, ISRAEL21c
Israeli para-swimmer Ami Dadaon clinched four gold medals at the Allianz Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester last week.
Dadaon came first in the men’s 200m freestyle, finishing the race in just under two minutes and 52 seconds. Earlier in the championship, the Paralympic medalist had already won gold in the 150m individual medley, 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle — where he broke the world record with a time of one minute and 18 seconds.
Overall, the Israeli athletes won eight medals at the World Championship, which ended on Sunday.
Another Beininson protégé, Paralympic swimmer Veronika Girenko, won bronze in the 50m breaststroke, with a time of one minute and 21 seconds.
Iyad Shalabi, who also trains under Beininson, nabbed a silver medal in the 50m backstroke race, with a time of one minute and 10 seconds, and a bronze in the 200m individual medley.
Mark Malyar, another Paralympic swimmer coached by Beininson, won bronze in the 200m individual medley, clocking the race at 2:27.31.
Their performance puts Israel in a good position ahead of the Paris Paralympic Games. In 2021’s Tokyo Games, Israel’s Paralympic team earned six gold medals, two silvers and one bronze. Eight of those nine medals were earned in swimming, by Dadaon, Malyar and Shalabi.
Chairman of the Israeli Association for Disabled Sports Ehud Rassabi congratulated the athletes on their achievements.
“You proved the importance of hard work, long training sessions, physical fitness and mental fortitude, which allowed you to face the difficult challenges. You have brought a lot of respect to the country, to the Paralympic sport and the swimming community,” Rassabi said.
“I wish all the members of the team, and in fact to all of us, more similar achievements leading up to the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.”
During the Israel Swimming Championships scheduled for Friday, August 11 at the Wingate Institute, the Israel Association for Disabled Sports will hold a recognition ceremony for the team that just returned from Great Britain.
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