TOKYO: National Paralympics swimmer, Brenda Anellia Larry, was found crying unconsolably at the women’s changing room.
When she was finally able to talk, Brenda told her coach Eva Wong that it was all because she failed to fulfil her mission to dip below one minute in the women’s 50-metre butterfly event in the S4 (physical impairment) category today.
Brenda, who was born without both arms, had clocked 1:00:62 seconds during her round to breaking the Asian record set by herself at the 2019 World Series in Singapore.
Her previous record was 1:09:72.
During the event that took place at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre, the 16-year-old actually swam in the S5 (swimmers with short stature and an additional impairment) category due to a lack of participants in the S4 category.
This was Brenda’s debut at the Games where she finished last in the second heat and 13th out of 14 swimmers overall.
Meanwhile, Eva told reporters here that her athlete cried as soon as she left the pool.
“I tried comforting her, saying that she had just broken her own Asian record but she was just so upset at failing to do her best,” she said.
“I am still proud of her and I hope she will channel her frustration and disappointment into giving her everything when she competes in her upcoming event,” said Eva who has trained the teenager since 2016.
Brenda will be competing in her pet event, the 50m backstroke, on Friday, September 3.
