Israeli swimmer Mark Malyar won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics Friday, netting Israel its second gold medal at this year’s 2020 Paralympic Games.
Malyar took the gold for the 200-meter medley swimming and set a world record with a time of 2:32:86.
Malyar, who suffers from cerebral palsy, already holds the world record in 400-meter freestyle swimming.
Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister, Hili Tropper (Blue and White) congratulated Malyar, touting “An amazing world record for Mark Malyar!”
“Mark won the gold medal with amazing swimming, again filling all of us with great feelings of pride. Another gold medal for Israel and another win for unique talent and great spirit.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog congratulated Malyar Friday, and told him that he had listened to his father's interview discussing Mark and his twin brother, who is also competing at the 2020 Paralympics.
"Mark, this is so exciting. You are unstoppable. Both a gold medal and a Made-in-Israel world record! I wish you, your brother, and your special coach Yaakov Beininson more medals over the course of the games. Well done!"
President Herzog added that he was waiting to see Mark and the rest of the Israeli delegation at the President's Residence at the earliest opportunity.
The latest gold medal comes days after Israeli-Arab swimmer Yusuf Shelby, 34, took the gold for the 100-meter backstroke on Tuesday.
“My heart was pounding,” Shalabi’s father, Yusuf Shelby, told the Israeli media. “When he overtook his competitor, I cried. He was constantly training. Six years every day he trains. It’s like a dream.”
Shalabi was born deaf to a Muslim family in Shfar’am, in northern Israel. At age 12 he was paralyzed in an accident falling from a rooftop and lost the full use of his limbs.
