Swimmer Ellie Marks just brought home Team USA’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympics!
On Thursday, August 29, Marks sprinted to silver in the women’s S6 50m freestyle, giving the USA its first medal of the Paris Paralympics.
Finishing in 32.90, Marks was just behind China’s Jiang Yuyan, who won gold in 32.59. The podium was rounded off by Ukrainian swimmer Anna Hontar, who won the bronze medal.
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Silver medalist Ellie Marks of the United States, gold medalist Yuyan Jiang of China and bronze medalist Anna Hontar of Ukraine celebrate on the podium of the women’s S6 50m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 29, 2024.
FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty
Jackie Chan smiles as he carries the Paralympic torch ahead of the 2024 opening ceremony.
Per Team USA, with his latest silver medal, Marks now has a total of six Paralympic medals – two gold, two silver and two bronze. Her medal tally could also increase, as she will swim in four additional events: the 200m individual medley SM6, the 50m butterfly S6 and the 100m breaststroke S6.
Marx’s journey to becoming a Paralympic swimming champion began in 2012, two years after she suffered a bilateral hip injury while serving in the military. She was accepted into the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and was declared “fit for duty” as a 68w combat medic.
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Since that time, more than a decade later, Marks has excelled in sports. In 2016, she received the Pat Tillman Award at the ESPY Awards, and a year later, she was inducted into the Military Women’s Hall of Fame.
Marks made her official debut as a Paralympic swimmer at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and then competed again at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
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Team USA had other standout moments in the pool on Thursday as Christie Raleigh Crossley earned Team USA’s second medal of the 2024 Paralympics with a silver in the women’s S10 50m freestyle. The gold was won by the Chinese Yi Chen, and the bronze by the Canadian Aurélie Rivard.
In the women’s S13 100m butterfly, Grace Nuhfer — making her Paralympic debut — won silver, behind Italy’s Carlotta Gilli who took gold and Uzbekistan’s Muslima Odilova who finished third, taking bronze.
To learn more about all the Olympic winners and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com and check out the live coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Paralympics, which begin on August 28, on NBC and Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education