INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – The CITI Para Swimming World Series 2024 – USA came to a close with a third and final day of competition that saw Team USA add 17 medals to its weekend total. The U.S. was led by six-time world championships medalist Olivia Chambers (Little Rock, Arkansas) and 18-year-old Owen McNear (Augusta, Georgia) who came away with gold medals.

For McNear, winning the men’s backstroke S2, 6-14 event was the first international medal of his career. Racing in the S9 class, McNear bested teammates Jack O’Neil (Colorado Springs, Colorado) and Yaseen El-Demerdash (Overland Park, Kansas) with a time of 1:13.80. The time also gave McNear the win in the youth category.

“I’m feeling great,” McNear said. “I was really hoping to prove what I could do here and I was just glad I could come away with some wins. When I saw the psych sheet, I think my time was sitting fourth in the 100 back, and I just thought ‘Might as well go try to win this.’”

Chambers, meanwhile, picked up her second win as part of the other Team USA podium sweep of the day in the women’s 200-meter individual medley SM5-14. The University of Northern Iowa SM13 swimmer swam one of her career-best times – 2:26.40 – en route to her second gold medal on the weekend.

In a final consisting completely of U.S. athletes, Paralympic medalists Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minnesota) and Jessica Long (Baltimore, Maryland) completed the podium for Team USA.

Paralympic medalists Gia Pergolini (Atlanta, Georgia) and Lizzi Smith (Muncie, Indiana) took second and third, respectively, in the women’s 100-meter backstroke S2, 6-14.

For Pergolini, the medal marked a return to international competition. The 2020 Paralympic champion and world record holder took a break from swimming between Games and has since been competing with her collegiate team at Florida International University.

“I’m feeling really happy about my swims this weekend. I didn’t know where my times were going to be,” Pergolini said. “Swimming with these amazing athletes, I’ve grown up with them since I was 13, they’re like my family. I needed that break for my own mental health, so just showing that you can come back from mental health issues is what I want to show people.”

Bringing home his first individual medal of the weekend was Team USA’s Abbas Karimi (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), who earned bronze in the men’s 50-meter backstroke. Karimi swam to a time of 41.64 to earn the podium spot.

Karimi, a native of Kabul, Afghanistan, competed for the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. He hopes to qualify for his first Games as a member of Team USA this summer.

“Becoming a U.S. citizen and representing the United States is totally different because this is what my dreams are about,” he said. “So all my focus, all my time, I'm giving everything to Paris, to make it happen.”

Wrapping the meet with another relay win was the team of Hannah Aspden (Raleigh, North Carolina), Morgan Ray (St. Augustine, Florida), Smith and El-Demerdash, who placed first in the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay 34 points.

Team USA athletes will continue to compete at the remaining Para swimming world series competitions this season before convening for the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials – Swimming in June, which will serve as the sole qualification event for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Follow U.S. Paralympics Swimming on Facebook, X and Instagram for updates and results from the team.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – Day 3

Women’s 50m Backstroke S1-5

1. Karina Hernandez Torres (MEX)

2. Hannah Oullette (CAN)

3. Nely Miranda Herrera (MEX)

Men’s 50m Backstroke S1-5

1. Diego Lopez Diaz (MEX)

2. Alberto Abarza Diaz (CHI)

3. Abbas Karimi

Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM5-14

1. Olivia Chambers

2. Mallory Weggemann

3. Jessica Long

Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM5-14 – Youth

1. Mary Jibb (CAN)

2. Kanon Fukuda (JPN)

3. Keegan Knott

Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM5-14

1. Nelson Crispin Corzo (COL)

2. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

3. Juan Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM5-14 – Youth

1. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

2. Noah Busch

3. Owen McNear

Women’s 150m Individual Medley SM1-4

1. Nely Miranda Herrera (MEX)

Men’s 150m Individual Medley SM1-4

1. Cristopher Tronco Sanchez (MEX)

2. Miguel Luque (ESP)

3. Marcos Zarate Rodriguez (MEX)

Women’s 100m Backstroke S2, 6-14

1. Shelby Newkirk (CAN)

2. Gia Pergolini

3. Lizzi Smith

Women’s 100m Backstroke S2, 6-14 – Youth

1. Mary Jibb (CAN)

2. Maria Francescotti

3. Audrey Kim

Men’s 100m Backstroke S2, 6-14

1. Owen McNear

2. Jack O’Neil

3. Yaseen El-Demerdash

Men’s 100m Backstroke S2, 6-14 – Youth

1. Owen McNear

2. Braxton Wong

3. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay 34 Points

1. Team USA A

2. Team USA B

Chambers, McNear Wrap Indianapolis World Series With Victories as Team USA Closes Competition with 17 Medals

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