Paralympic swimmer Iyad Shalabi wins fifth gold medal for Israel at Tokyo

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After a one-day hiatus, Israel went back to racking up swimming medals at the Tokyo Paralympics. Iyad Shalabi, who won Israel’s first gold in the games, repeated the feat Thursday with his first place finish in the 50-meter backstroke in the S1 category, which is the highest level of impairment.

Shalabi, who on the first day of the competition became the first Israeli Arab to win a medal at the Paralympics or the Olympics, finished Thursday with a time of 1:11.79. He beat Ukrainian Anton Kol, who finished second with a time of 1:13.78. Italian Francesco Bettella finished third.

>> Israel becomes powerhouse at Tokyo Paralympics

The victory represents Israel’s eighth medal so far at the Tokyo Paralympics, and the fifth gold.

The Tokyo Paralympics marked Shalabi’s fourth appearance at the tournament, but this was the first time the native of Shfaram in northern Israel, who trains in Haifa, had claimed a medal.