Matthew Torres, Paralympic swimmer from CT, wins bronze in Paris in freestyle relay

Paralympic swimmer Matthew Torres will be bringing home to Connecticut a bronze medal from the Paris games.

Torres, who is from Ansonia, won bronze in the 34 point mixed 4x100m freestyle relay on Saturday alongside Team USA teammates Noah Jaffe, Natalie Sims and Christie Raleigh Crossley. The team finished in third behind teams from Italy and Australia.

The finish is Torres' second bronze medal — he previously won a bronze medal in the men's 400m freestyle S8 at the 2020 Paralympic Games.

The 23-year-old was born with amniotic band syndrome and deformities on both hands, is missing half his right leg and has moderate hearing loss.

Here's what to know.

What is the S8 classification in Paralympic swimming?

Torres competed under the S8 classification, which is one of the categories for athletes with physical impairments, according to World Para Swimming. The 'S' prefix in the classification is used for the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events. The classes are numbered 1-10 depending on how the impairment affects swimming.

The S8 classification is for swimmers who have affected movement at a low level, at a moderate level in the legs, the use of one arm only or the absence of limbs, according to LEXI Global .

What is the 34 point relay in Paralympic swimming?

While Torres competed under the S8 classification, the relay that he won bronze in is categorized slightly differently.

Torres and his teammates competed in the 34 point relay, which means the four swimmers in the race cannot have a combined class number exceeding 34 points, according to LEXI Global.

While Torres was classified under S8, his teammates were classified as: Noah Jaffe — S8, Natalie Sims — S9, Christie Raleigh Crossley — S9. In total, the team's classification totaled 34 points, which is why they competed in that category.

Who is Matthew Torres?

Matthew Torres is a two-time Paralympic swimmer and two-time bronze medalist from Ansonia, Connecticut.

Torres is a 2023 graduate of Fairfield University.

According to his Team USA bio , the 23-year-old started swimming after watching Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympic Games.

He was born with amniotic band syndrome, missing half his right leg, with deformities on both hands and has moderate hearing loss.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Matthew Torres, Paralympic swimmer from CT, wins bronze in Paris in freestyle relay