VIDEO. Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: social media star, dolphin technique… five things to know about Brazilian star swimmer Gabrielzinho

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He has stumps at shoulder level, his legs are atrophied, but he can walk on his two feet.
The Brazilian star Gabrielzinho swims especially very fast. 

Star of the pools and social networks: at 22, Brazilian Gabriel dos Santos Araujo hopes to win three swimming titles at the Paris Paralympic Games, which take place until September 8. After easily winning a first gold medal on Thursday in the 100m backstroke, opening his country's tally, he will try to impose himself again on Friday evening in the 50m backstroke.

Focus on five things to know about this athlete nicknamed Gabrielzinho, “little Gabriel”, who competes in the S2 category, reserved for athletes with a severe physical disability.

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In the pools since childhood

Gabriel dos Santos Araujo discovered the pleasure of water early. “Since they wanted him to have a normal childhood, they took him to a club where there was a swimming pool. At four or five years old, he already knew how to swim, even though he had no arms,”, his mother Ineida Magda dos Santos, a retired teacher, recently said. The Brazilian has phocomelia, a malformation caused by the arrest of the development of one or more limbs during pregnancy.

He has stumps at shoulder level, his legs are atrophied, but he can walk on both feet. The athlete discovered competition as a teenager, when a teacher registered him at the age of 13 for a school tournament, without telling his parents: “he won five medals. Since then, he hasn't stopped”, his mother said.

Hino Brasileiro é tocado pela 1° vez nas Paralimpíadas . Gabrielzinho ganhou Ouro nos 100M costas . pic.twitter.com/wXGgaUfMyN

— Mamífera 🐯 (@Rodhotx) August 29, 2024

Dolphin technique

To swim, Gabriel dos Santos Araujo undulates in the water like a dolphin, with pelvic movements. He perfected this technique with his coach, Fabio Pereira Antunes. The para-athlete trains six times a week, in the pool in Juiz de Fora, a city in the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeast of Brazil. He also performs workouts out of the water, including strength training exercises for the lower back, abs and pelvic floor.

Brazilian Flag Bearer

The charismatic swimmer, who won two gold medals and a silver at the Tokyo Games three years ago, has been named Brazil's flag bearer for the Paris Paralympic Games. “The Opening Ceremony is a unique moment in an athlete's life,”, Gabriel dos Santos Araujo said at a press conference. “So I was very honoured to be able, for my second Paralympic Games, at such a young age, to achieve this great feat, which many athletes, great Brazilian athletes, have had the privilege of doing. ’accomplish".

Victory Dance

Like former sprint king Usain Bolt, he celebrates his victories with a signature gesture, busting out a few dance moves on the podium. He had already started this ritual during the Tokyo Paralympic Games and unveiled a new little choreography on Thursday during his first victory in Paris.

Social media star

When he's not swimming lengths, Gabriel dos Santos Araujo cultivates his popularity on the social network Instagram, where he has nearly 150,000 subscribers. On his account, he mainly shares his daily life as an athlete. He uses his toes to navigate the screen of his phone. And that's also how he uses the controller of his video game console, especially football, his other passion.