News & Events in Belarus

Belarus’ swimmer Boki wins gold at Paris 2024 Paralympics

Photo courtesy of the Sports and Tourism Ministry

MINSK, 30 August (BelTA) – Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki has won his first individual medal at the 17th Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, BelTA has learned.

On the first day of the competitions, Ihar Boki competed in the Men’s 100m Butterfly – S13 at Paris La Défense Arena. By the way, the Belarusian holds a world record in this discipline. Following the morning session, Ihar Boki proceeded to the final with the best time of 54.93 seconds. In the final race later on in the evening, Ihar Boki clocked 54.13 seconds to win gold, beating the Frenchman Alex Portal, who came in second, by a quarter of a second.

“Ihar showed an excellent result, the best in the last three years,” said the athlete's coach Gennady Vishnyakov. “We paid a lot of attention to basic, technical and psychological training. Ihar is a real fighter and a very experienced swimmer, he was able to fulfill the training program proposed by the coach, so now he is at the top of his game.”

This gold was Boki’s 17th Paralympic medal. At his first Paralympic Games, which were the 2012 London Paralympics, the Belarusian athlete won five gold medals. Later on he clinched six golds at Rio 2016 and five golds at Tokyo 2020. On Friday, Ihar Boki and his teammate Yauheni Kavalionak will take part in the 100m backstroke. The qualifying heats start at noon Minsk time.

Lukashenko congratulates Boki on Paris Paralympics gold

MINSK, 30 August (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has congratulated Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki on the gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

“Your stunning victories and records put you on par with the world’s most famous Paralympians, proving again and again that outstanding athletes have no barriers on the path to Olympus. We are proud of you, we are rooting for you and we are looking forward to new victories,” the message of congratulations reads.

Aleksandr Lukashenko wished the athlete good health, peace, good spirits and inexhaustible energy.

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