PARIS --- Olivia Chambers closed the book on her first Paralympic Games on Thursday with one final trip to the medal stand, earning silver for the United States in the SB13 100-meter breaststroke.
The current UNI senior and Little Rock, Arkansas native, who is legally blind due to multiple mitochondrial gene deletion syndrome, finishes the Paris 2024 games with one gold and two silver medals as UNI's first-ever Paralympic medalist and first Olympian or Paralympian to win multiple medals.
Meanwhile on the track, former Panther sprinter
Erin Kerkhoff returned to action in the T13 400-meter dash, just two days after placing seventh in the 100 meters at Stade De France. Thanks to a strong finish, Kerkhoff will now run in the 400-meter final for the second consecutive Paralympics on Saturday.
Swimming in a ten-swimmer field, Chambers, who took bronze in the event at last year's Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester, England, broke out quick in the first 50 meters of Thursday's first preliminary heat and finished strong in 1:18.92 to outtouch fellow American and two-time world champion Colleen Young (1:19.65), who won bronze in the event each of the last two Paralympics. Anastasiya Zudzlilava (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) finished third in the opening heat in 1:22.15. Reigning world champion Rebecca Redfern (Great Britain) cruised in 1:16.40 to win the second heat as Roisin Ni Riain (Ireland) followed in 1:19.05 and Marian Polo Lopez (Spain) took third in 1:20.75.
With the top-four seeds entering the finals separated by just 3.25 seconds from the morning swims, Chambers finished off her final race of the games with a new career-best time of 1:17.70, finishing second to Redfern by 1.68 seconds. Colleen Young finished strong to capture her third straight Paralympic bronze medal in the event with a time of 1:18.52, while Roisin Ni Rialin (Ireland) placed fourth.
WOMEN'S SB13 100-METER BREASTSTROKE FINAL RESULTS (Paris 2024 Paralympics)
- 1st | Rebecca Redfern (Great Britain) - 1:16.02
- 2nd | Olivia Chambers (USA) - 1:17.70
- 3rd | Colleen Young (USA) - 1:18.52
- 4th | Roisin Ni Riain (Ireland) - 1:19.16
- 5th | Marian Polo Lopez (Spain) - 1:19.37
- 6th | Mariia Latritskaia (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) - 1:20.58
- 7th | Anastasiya Zudzilava (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) - 1:22.15
- 8th | Danika Vyncke (South Africa) - 1:23.82
On the track, Kerkhoff, who placed eighth at the Tokyo Games in the T13 400-meter dash three years ago, ran in the first of two heats in a 14-person field. Kerkhoff finished strong in the final 100 meters to pull from fourth to a second-place heat finish in 57.42 seconds behind heat winner Carolina Duarte (Portugal). Nantenin Keita (France) and Adiaratou Iglesias Forneiro (Spain) placed third and fourth respectively in the opening heat. Rayane Soares de Silva (Brazil) won the second heat in 56.44 seconds, followed by reigning Paralympic champion Lamiya Valiyeva and Mana Sasaki (Japan).