Gabriel dos Santos Araujo was born in Santa Luzia, in the state of Minas Gerais (southeast Brazil), whose cellars were full of gold in the 17th century.my century. Perhaps that is where his thirst for the most coveted medal comes from. Since the start of the Paralympic Games, the swimmer has already carried more than a kilo around his neck after his two victories in the 100m backstroke on 29 August and the 50m backstroke two days later. On Monday 2 September he will try to triple the stakes in the 200m freestyle reserved for swimmers with a “serious physical disability”.
Since his entry into competition at the Paris La Défense Arena, the Nanterre basin public has made him their new favourite, mesmerised by his style. The 22-year-old athlete – without arms and with atrophied legs – undulates underwater like a dolphin, using only the strength of his torso and pelvis.
The youngster also puts on a show outside the water. On Saturday evening, after his second title, he bowed to the 15,000 spectators, then took a sip at the edge of the pool before releasing a huge jet of water. The “Araujo show” continued on the podium, where his victory dances each time preceded an endless lap of honour. “I started doing this celebration in 2019 during the Pan American Games in Lima. Dance is a way to sum up the mix of emotions I feel, said to World Gabriel dos Santos Araujo, met on Saturday, August 31. I hope that with my joy I can, in one way or another, return all this affection to the public. »
Already a triple medalist in Tokyo 2021
French spectators (TV) discovered his playful character during the opening ceremony, on the Place de la Concorde, where he was one of the flag bearers of his delegation, with the banner hanging on the back of his electric wheelchair. The six-time world champion had already won three Paralympic medals (two gold and one silver) in Tokyo in 2021.
After his achievement in Japan, the Brazilian nicknamed “Gabrielzinho” (“little Gabriel”) – he is 1.21 m tall – became one of the faces of the Paralympic movement in his country, following in the footsteps of another swimmer, Daniel Dias. “He is very charismatic and very popular among those who follow the Paralympic Games, but unfortunately not everyone watches them and they are broadcast only partially. nuance Juliana Lisboa, journalist for the sports news site NE45minutos. I don’t think people will stop him on the street like they would a footballer, at least not yet.
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