Elizabeth Marks Ties World Record on Opening Night of U.S. Paralympic Swimming Trials | SwimSwam

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

2024 U.S. PARA SWIMMING TRIALS

• June 27 – 29, 2024
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center — Minneapolis, MN
• 50 meters (LCM)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet (pre-scratch)
• Results

Reigning Paralympic champion Elizabeth Marks tied her own world record from Tokyo in the 100 backstroke S6 with a time of 1:19.57 to kick off the U.S. Paralympic Swimming Trials on Thursday in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The 33-year-old Marks also captured the 5o butterfly S6 crown in 36.59 after blazing a 36.29 in prelims. She collected Paralympic bronze in the event a few years ago with an American record of 36.83. Marks served in the U.S. military in Iraq and also set a world record of 1:28.13 in the 100 breast SB7 at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

Former Yale swimmer Ali Truwit broke an American record in the 100 back S10 (1:08.98) only about a year after losing her foot in a shark attack. It was her first time ever under the 1:09 barrier, dropping more than half a second off her previous-best 1:09.50 from 2018.

“I definitely have goals, but I am also taking the time to be proud of where I am at, especially after it only being a year since the [shark] attack and amputation,” Truwit said.

Two other American records fell courtesy of Zach Shattuck in the 50 fly S6 (34.00 in prelims, 34.03 in the final) and Trevor Lukacsko in the 100 breast SB14 (1:12.52). Morgan Ray narrowly missed his own national record from December by one hundredth of a second during his 100 breast SB6 victory in 1:22.32.

Jessica Long, a 16-time Paralympic champion, won two events on Thursday as she seeks qualification for her sixth Paralympics. The 32-year-old triumphed in the 100 breast SB7 (1:39.12) and 100 back S8 (1:22.73).

2023 world champion Christie Raleigh-Crossley picked up another win in her signature 100 back S9 event (1:09.75).

Paralympic champion Gia Pergolini claimed the 100 back S13 title in 1:05.63, within a second of her world-record 1:04.64 from Tokyo.

U.S. Paralympic Trials Winners on Night 1

• Megan Gioffreda (women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB6)
• Jessica Long (women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB7)
• Mei White (women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB8)
• Summer Schmit (women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB9)
• Colleen Young (women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB13)
• Morgan Ray (men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB6)
• David Gelfand (men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB8)
• Aiden Stivers (men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB9)
• David Abrahams (men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB13)
• Trevor Lukacsko (men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB14)
• Leanne Smith (women’s 50-meter breaststroke SB3)
• Elizabeth Marks (women’s 100-meter backstroke S6)
• Jessica Long (women’s 100-meter backstroke S8)
• Christie Raleigh Crossley (women’s 100-meter backstroke S9)
• Alexandra Truwit (women’s 100-meter backstroke S10)
• McClain Hermes (women’s 100-meter backstroke S11)
• Gia Pergolini (women’s 100-meter backstroke S13)
• Piper Sadowski (women’s 100-meter backstroke S14)
• Noah Thomas (men’s 100-meter backstroke S6)
• Jack O’Neil (men’s 100-meter backstroke S8)
• Noah Busch (men’s 100-meter backstroke S9)
• Yaseen El-Demerdash (men’s 100-meter backstroke S10)
• Evan Wilkerson (men’s 100-meter backstroke S12)
• Lawrence Sapp (men’s 100-meter backstroke S14)
• Victoria Beelner (women’s 50-meter butterfly S5)
• Elizabeth Marks (women’s 50-meter butterfly S6)
• Mallory Weggemann (women’s 50-meter butterfly S7)
• Abbas Karimi (men’s 50-meter butterfly S5)
• Zach Shattuck (men’s 50-meter butterfly S6)
• Evan Austin (men’s 50-meter butterfly S7)

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