Vicente Pereira left this Saturday with the status of swimmer with the most medals in the 10th edition of the World Championships for people with Down syndrome, a competition in which Portugal made history by achieving 32 medals, the best result ever.
In Albufeira, where the event took place for the second time, Portugal made the round with the 10 selected swimmers who managed to reach the podium and drop three world records.
Vicente Pereira, aged 17, leaves the competition with six individual titles of world champion, two of runner-up, five medals in relay and a world record.
The Sporting swimmer took 13 podium finishes, became world champion in the 50, 100 and 200 m freestyle, in the 50 and 100 butterfly and in the 100 styles, and second in the world in the 50 backstroke and 200 styles, as well as adding gold medals in the 4×50, 4×100 and 4×200 free relays, and in the 4×50 styles, and bronze in the mixed 4×50 free relay.
André Almeida, with six medals, and João Vaz, with five medals in individual competitions, follow Vicente Pereira in the list of athletes with the most medals in the competition.
In the women’s sector, with just two representatives – Diana Torres and Filipa Reis – Portugal won five medals, two of which were in mixed relay events. Portugal can be proud of the fact that its 10 representatives have won medals in a competition that brought together more than 200 swimmers from 24 countries.
In the municipal swimming pools of Albufeira, families always present, representatives of delegations and students from some schools in the region always celebrated, in a lively competition full of music.
Outside the pool, parents and coaches lament the lack of support and the “injustice” of these athletes who do not have their own category that allows them to compete in the Paralympic Games.
Currently, athletes with Down syndrome can only participate in the Paralympic Games with intellectual disabilities, but the fact that they have very specific physiological and muscle characteristics makes qualification practically impossible. In terms of support, Athletes with Down syndrome are not supported by any specific state program and therefore do not receive an education grant or cash prizes for medals won.
With a budget of 600 thousand euros, the event was a joint organization of the Portuguese Swimming Federation (FPN), the local government and the DSISO, with the support of the Algarve Swimming Association and the National Association of Sports for Intellectual Development (ANDDI).
Source: DN
