Long, Stickney, Torres Light Up the Pool with Medal Winning Performances

Team USA dominated the women's 400m freestyle S8 as Morgan Stickney won gold in a blistering time of 4:42.39 that was only two seconds short of the world record and teammate Jessica Long stayed right in her wake to collect the silver medal at 4:43.41 on Tuesday night. The next closest swimmer was Italy’s Xenia Francesca Palazzo, who captured bronze 14 seconds later (4:56.79). 

Not only is Stickney competing in her first

Paralympic Games, but her gold-medal finish is also her first individual race of Tokyo 2020. The new Paralympic champion began competing in para swimming in 2018 and has reached the pinnacle in a remarkability quick three years. 

Long has complied an unprecedented 26 Paralympic medals in her five Paralympic Games appearances and her latest victory marks the third in Tokyo after grabbing gold in the women’s 200m individual medley SM8 and bronze in the 100m backstroke S8. The Baltimore native has two more chances to compete with the 100m breaststroke SB7 and 100m butterfly S8. 

First-time Paralympian Matthew Torres won bronze in the men's 400m freestyle S8 (4:28.47) and followed just behind Alberto Amodeo (4:25.93) from Italy who crept up in the last 100m to steal the silver medal. Torres looks forward to competing in the men's 100m backstroke S8 and the men's 100m freestyle S8 in Tokyo.