PARIS — The swimming finals kicked off at the Paris La Defense Arena with a spectacular display of lights and sound, drawing an enthusiastic crowd on the opening day.

In this vibrant atmosphere, three American swimmers — Ellie Marks, Christie Raleigh-Crossley, and Grace Nuhfer — each secured silver medals in their events. Marks claimed her second consecutive silver medal in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S6 final, finishing with a time of 32.90 seconds.

At 34 years old and hailing from Colorado Springs, Marks has now won six medals across three Paralympic Games, including two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes.

Despite the excitement of the finals, Marks aimed to keep her routine as normal as possible.

“I just woke up, ate breakfast, put on my swimsuit, and swam a bit — that’s about all,” Marks noted.

Marks finished behind Chinese swimmer Jiang Yuyan, who set a new Paralympic record at 32.59 seconds, with Ukraine’s Anna Hontar taking third place.

Having received the Pat Tillman Award in 2016, Marks considers herself an “accidental athlete” as she started swimming for rehabilitation after an injury sustained during her military service in Iraq in 2010. She plans to compete in four more events, including the SM6 200 individual medley, 50 butterfly, and 100 breaststroke in the S6 category.

Christie Raleigh-Crossley Wins Medal, Addresses Criticism of Her Disability

Christie Raleigh-Crossley set a world record in the preliminary heat for her 50 freestyle S9 event, clocking in at 27.28 seconds. The final race combined S9 and S10 swimmers, where she earned silver, finishing second to Yi Chen of China, who won gold at 27.10 seconds. Aurélie Rivard came in third.

It was a challenging day for Raleigh-Crossley, as she faced criticism from other athletes about her classification in the S9 race. In para sports, classifications are determined by the extent of impairment as evaluated by a physician, but these classifications can sometimes be unclear, leading to ongoing debates.

“It’s amazing that I broke a world record and earned my first Paralympic medal today,” Raleigh-Crossley remarked. “However, I got off the bus and faced verbal harassment from another athlete from a different country.”

With tears in her eyes, she expressed the difficulties of her disabilities and their impact on her life.

“Being told by online bullies that I’m not disabled enough just because I can swim faster than they can is incredibly distressing.”

Raleigh-Crossley had to consult with a safety representative for athletes in the Paralympic Village due to the incident.

She has endured numerous accidents that resulted in various issues with her back, neck, and brain. In 2018, while on vacation and participating in a snowball fight, she was accidentally struck in the head with an icy snowball. Medical examinations later revealed bleeding in her brain and a tumor that required the removal of part of her skull. The complications from the bleeding and surgery led to paralysis on her left side.

Despite ongoing muscle weakness, the mother of three from Toms River, New Jersey, has three more events ahead: the 100 backstroke S9, 100 freestyle S9, and 100 butterfly S9.

Grace Nuhfer Concludes a Successful Silver Night for Team USA

In the final swimming event for Team USA that night, Grace Nuhfer secured a silver in the women’s 100 butterfly S13, achieving her first Paralympic medal with a time of 1:03.88. She finished just behind Italy’s Carlotta Gilli, who won at 1:03.27, with Uzbekistan’s Muslima Odilova taking third place.

Nuhfer, who is making her Paralympic debut, specializes in the butterfly stroke and comes from Greenwood, Indiana. She is currently a senior studying business analytics at the University of Akron.

“I enjoy racing and being competitive, so it was rewarding to bring home a medal,” Nuhfer stated. “Racing alongside the other girls in my category was a blast. The support from back home in Indiana means more to me than any medal.”

Her teammate Oliva Chambers finished fifth in the women’s 100 butterfly S13 and has two more opportunities to medal: in the 50 freestyle S13 and the 200 IM SM13.