The Portuguese Diogo Cancela today classified the silver achieved in the 100 meters butterfly S8 at the European Paralympic Swimming Championships as “a great achievement”, and expressed his desire to fight for another medal in the 200 swimming strokes.
“It’s a great achievement, I had already been in fourth place seven or eight times in European competitions, I’m really happy”, said Diogo Cancela, at the end of the race, which concluded with a time of 1.04.84 minutes, still short of his national distance record (1.04,30).
The swimmer from Louzan Natação considered that the work on the European Championships, which take place in Funchal, “is not yet done”, remembering that his main event is the 200 meters style, a distance in which he has a silver and a bronze medal in Worlds.
“Now I’m going to rest, so that I can be at my best on Friday, I’m going to fight for the medals”, assured Diogo Cancela, who doesn’t have his right arm.
The 21-year-old Portuguese swimmer said that the silver won today “is a good indicator for the Paris2024 Paralympic Games”, a competition in which he is practically assured of presence, but recalled that “you need to keep working”.
“Today’s final was tough, and on top of that the Italian who won has both arms”, said the Portuguese Paralympic swimmer who finished 1.64 seconds behind the winner, the transalpine Alberto Amodeo (1.02.57).
In second place, with a time of 1.03.65, the Chinese Ting Li concluded, authorized to participate because it was an Open competition, and therefore open to non-European swimmers, but who was excluded from the award of continental medals.
Spaniard Inigo Sanz Llopis finished in fourth place (1.06.06), but took the bronze medal.
The European Paralympic Swimming Championships, which run until Saturday in Madeira, bring together 427 athletes – including seven Portuguese – from 51 countries.
Tags: Diogo Cancela silver great achievement fourth place times Europeans Swimming
