Sebastian Massabie’s first Paralympic medal is golden.
The 19-year-old Canadian took top spot in the men’s S4 50-metre freestyle with a world-record swim on Friday at Paris La Défense Arena.
Massabie touched the wall first in a time of 35.61 seconds. Japan’s Takayuki Suzuki scored silver in 36.85 seconds, while Israel’s Ami Omer Dadaon — the previous world-record holder — rounded out the podium with bronze in 37.11 seconds.
The Surrey, B.C., native, who has cerebral palsy, had previously set a Paralympic-record time of 36.95 seconds in qualifying. He placed fifth in the 100m freestyle and sixth in the 200m freestyle earlier in Paris.
WATCH | Massabie wins gold medal:
19-year-old Sebastian Massabie of Toronto claimed gold in the S4 50-metre freestyle race in a world-record time of 35.61 Friday at Paris La Défense Arena.
Massabie’s medal marks Canada’s 22nd at these Games, surpassing the country’s total of 21 at Tokyo 2020.
The Canadian burst onto the scene at national-team trials in May, where he broke six Canadian records and one world record in the S4 50m butterfly.
Massabie trains with his province’s Pacific Sea Wolves under coach Jy Lawrence. The Paris Games not only marked his Paralympic debut, but also his first major international meet.