PARIS – Filipino para swimmer Ernie Gawilan has made a strong impression at the 2024 Paris Paralympics by securing a spot in the final of the men’s 400m freestyle S7 event. Gawilan topped his heat with a time of 5:00.13 at the Paris La Defense Arena on Monday evening, earning a place in the highly anticipated final.

In his second Paralympic appearance, Gawilan demonstrated impressive performance and determination. He finished first in the second of two qualifying heats, though he placed third overall in the rankings. The top two times were set by Austin Evan of the United States with 4:56.54 and Aleksei Ganiuk from the Neutral Paralympic Athletes squad, also clocking 4:56.54.

Gawilan, a two-time Asian Para Games champion in the 400m freestyle, is eager to improve upon his performance from the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, where he missed the podium. “So far, I’m in good condition, so I’ll give it my all in the final,” Gawilan said, reflecting on his preparation and readiness.

Also advancing to the final are Argentina’s Inaki Basiloff, the gold medalist in the 200m individual medley SM7, and bronze medalist Andrii Trusov of Ukraine. Basiloff recorded a time of 5:17.33, while Trusov finished in 5:16.03. They, along with Italy’s Federico Bicelli (5:05.51), China’s Huang Xianquan (5:16.03), and Ukraine’s Yurii Shenhur (5:19.46), will compete for the medals in the final, scheduled for 11:30 p.m. Manila time.

With his solid performance in the heats, Gawilan is positioned to make a strong bid for a medal in the final, showcasing the talent and determination of Filipino para athletes on the world stage.