Gia Pergolini retains 100m backstroke title for USA’s first gold of Paralympics

Gia Pergolini earned Team USA’s first gold medal of the Paralympic Games in the women’s 100m backstroke S13 with a time of 1:04.93.

The 20-year-old from Atlanta won this event in 2021 at age 17, and while she was just shy of her world and Paralympic records (1:04.93 to 1:04.64), she claimed a convincing 2.34-second win.

“You think it gets easier.” Pergolini said. “It doesn’t get easier, but I am just so happy to be here representing one of the greatest countries in the world, and getting its first gold medal at the Paralympics is unreal. Especially after watching the Olympians dominate the Olympics, I wanted to do that here.”

Ireland’s Roisin Ni Riain took silver with a time of 1:07.27, while Italy’s Carlotta Gilli won bronze with a 1:08.08 finish. Team USA’s Grace Nuhfer finished eighth.

“Usually for my 100m back, I know I go out really fast and my mindset was, ‘You know you are going to go out really fast anyway, so just pace yourself, don’t go out too hard like you did in the 100m fly yesterday, and then just give it all you’ve got in the last 50m’,” Pergolini said. “Kind of died in the last 50m. I was like, I can’t move, I don’t know how I am going to finish this. But it was a great experience. I’ve done this so many times, it was kind of like second nature to me.

“I had a feeling I was pretty much ahead. I was looking to the right, to the left, and I was like: ‘Where are they at?’ And then I could see I was pretty ahead. And then I was like, ‘OK, just hold on to your speed, don’t die too hard’ – even though I did die. I was like, ‘Just keep pushing it, you’re almost there.’”

More to follow.