Croatia’s best paralympic swimmer Dino Sinovčić (29) won the bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke in the S6 category at the Paralympic Games. This is the first swimming medal for Croatia at these Paralympic Games.
Sinovčić convincingly won in his qualifying group with a result of 1:16.74, and later in the final, he achieved a time of 1:15.74, which was enough for the bronze medal.
A new world record and the gold medal was won by China’s Hongguang Jia with a time of 1:12.72, and the silver by Argentina’s Matias de Andrade (1:15.40).
Sinovčić is the current world champion in that discipline after celebrating in London in 2019 with a result of 1:15.46. This year, he was second at the European Championships in Portugal, while in 2018, he also became the European champion in Dublin.
These are his second Paralympic Games after Rio de Janeiro, where he was fifth in the 100-meter backstroke.
“This is something phenomenal; at the moment, there is no one happier than me. I know many will think it’s just bronze, but I should be proud to be here at all. After I entered the finals, I had to fight for the medal, and there is nothing better than winning it, said the Mornar Split swimmer.
Sinovčić arrived in Tokyo as the current world, former European, and current European runner-up. He was also one of the candidates for a medal in Tokyo.
“It means nothing because I was a world champion two years ago. Every race is new proof. To win a medal in a competition is the dream of every athlete; for me, this is the realization of all dreams.”
Croatian Athletics has two medals at the Paralympics in Tokyo thanks to Velimir Šandor and Ivan Katanušić. In addition, the Croatia table tennis team of Anđela Mužinić and Helena Dretar Karić won the bronze medal earlier this week.
Source: HRT
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