With two Paralympic gold medals and one silver in swimming, Gabriel Araújo is one of Brazil’s great hopes for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
Gabriel Araújo, known affectionately as Gabrielzinho, is one of the biggest names in Paralympic swimming in the world.
With a meteoric career full of achievements, he has become an inspiration to athletes and fans of the sport around the world.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the career of this talented swimmer, from his beginnings in the sport to his main achievements.
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Who is Gabriel Araújo?
Gabriel de Souza Araújo, popularly known as Gabrielzinho, was born on March 11, 2002, in Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, with malformations in his arms and legs, a condition known as phocomelia. He is currently one of the world’s leading paralympic swimmers, competing in the S2 class, for athletes with severe physical limitations.
He is the current world champion in the following paralympic swimming disciplines:
- 50m backstroke
- 100m backstroke
- 200m freestyle
All the golds were won at the World Championships in Manchester 2023.
In addition, Gabriel Araújo is the owner of two Paralympic gold medals, won in Tokyo 2020: the 200m freestyle and the 50m backstroke.
Despite his physical limitations, he has found in swimming a way to express his talent and determination.
What is Gabriel Araújo’s story?
Born in Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, he was raised in Corinto and settled in Juiz de Fora, where he currently lives and trains at one of the city’s biggest clubs.
Gabriel was born withfollicomy, leading to severe malformation of his arms and legs.
Since he was a child, the athlete has lived with the difficulties of being a disabled person, and has found his safe place in swimming.
His first contact with paralympic swimming came about through the recommendation of his Physical Education teacher, Aguilar Freitas, at the school where he was studying. In one of his classes, the teacher asked him if he knew how to swim and signed him up for a school competition without him or his mother knowing.
He took part in the competition, the Minas Gerais School Games (JEMG), and won three gold medals. Since then, he hasn’t stopped swimming.
From then on, he devoted himself entirely to the sport, training at clubs in Minas Gerais and later at specialized training centers.
Read also: Paralympic swimming rules: everything you need to know
How did the athlete get started in Paralympic swimming?
After discovering Gabriel’s talent, his ascent was rapid. In 2018, at the age of 16, he was called up to the Brazilian Paralympic swimming team.
That same year, he took part in international competitions, where he gained experience and confidence.
In 2019, he competed in the Paralympic Swimming World Championships in London, winning his first international medals and solidifying his position as one of the sport’s greats.
That same year, he won gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle, silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
Read also: List of Brazil’s 10 biggest names in paralympic swimming today [it’s Gold!]
Gabriel Araújo’s main titles
The list of titles and gold medals won by Gabriel Araújo is extensive and you can check out his main achievements below:
- Gold in the 50m freestyle at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 50m backstroke at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 100m freestyle at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 100m backstroke at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 200m freestyle at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 50m backstroke at the Manchester 2023 World Championships
- Gold in the 100m backstroke at the Manchester 2023 World Championships
- Gold in the 200m freestyle at the Manchester 2023 World Championships
- Gold in the 100m backstroke at the Madeira Island World Cup 2022
- Gold in the 50m backstroke at the Madeira Island World Championships 2022
- Gold in the 200m freestyle at the Madeira Island World Championships 2022
- Gold in the 200m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
- Gold in the 50m backstroke at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
- Silver in the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
- Gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle, silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
What records does Gabriel Araújo hold?
In 2021, during the Tokyo Paralympic Games, Gabriel made history by winning two gold medals in the 200-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke, setting new Paralympic records.
He also holds national records in several events in his category and continues to break records in competitions around the world.
His combination of speed, technique and determination makes him one of the most feared and respected athletes in global Paralympic swimming.
In which events does he compete in paralympic swimming?
Gabriel Araújo competes mainly in the 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter freestyle in the S2 category. These events are aimed at swimmers with severe physical limitations, and Gabrielzinho stands out for his refined technique and ability to overcome each competition.
Curiosities about Gabriel Araújo
Gabrielzinho is a fascinating figure both in and out of the swimming pool. Here are some interesting facts about him:
- Gabriel Araújo is active on social media, where he shares his training routine, competitions and moments of relaxation.
- Despite his swimming career, Gabrielzinho is a big soccer fan and Cruzeiro supporter. Whenever he can, he attends his favorite team’s games and enjoys playing soccer with friends.
- Gabriel is known for his charisma and good humor. Always in good spirits, he is liked by teammates and opponents alike, and his smile is a trademark.
In short, Gabriel Araújo, or Gabrielzinho, is an example of determination, talent and resilience.
His achievements in paralympic swimming place him among the greatest athletes in the world, and his life story is an inspiration to everyone.
At just 22 years old, Gabrielzinho still has many challenges and victories ahead of him, and he will certainly continue to shine in the pools and inspire new generations of athletes.
Now that you know more about Gabriel Araújo’s story, take the opportunity to learn all about the careers of other Brazilian sports idols:
- Petrucio Ferreira: Paralympic athlete’s titles and records
- Top Brazilians at the Paralympics: meet the top 20 athletes
- TOP 10 Best paralympic athletes in Brazil today: strong names for the Olympic podium
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