Pergolini Defends Title

Gia Pergolini Retains 100m Backstroke Title, Earns USA's First Gold in Paralympics

Pergolini Defends Title

Gia Pergolini, a 17-year-old swimmer from Pennsylvania, has successfully defended her Paralympic title in the women's 100-meter backstroke S13.

Pergolini, who has retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, touched the wall in 1:07.88, just ahead of Ukraine's Anna Stetsenko (1:08.45) and Italy's Alessia Berra (1:09.33).

Team USA Finishes Strong

Pergolini's gold medal is the first for Team USA at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The United States has now won a total of 10 medals, including three golds.

Other notable performances by Team USA swimmers on day one include:

• Evan Austin (S7) winning the bronze medal in the men's 100-meter freestyle
• Hannah Aspden (S9) finishing fifth in the women's 100-meter butterfly
• Robert Griswold (S8) taking sixth place in the men's 100-meter freestyle

Paralympics History

The Paralympic Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual, or intellectual disabilities. The Games were first held in 1960 in Rome, Italy, and have been held every four years since then.

The 2020 Paralympic Games were originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Games are now being held from August 24 to September 5, 2021.

ABC Coverage

The Paralympic Games are being broadcast in the United States on NBCUniversal networks, including NBC, NBCSN, and the Olympic Channel. Live streaming coverage is also available on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.

For more information on the Paralympic Games, visit the official website: https://www.paralympic.org/