Israel scored its second Paralympic gold medal in the Tokyo Games on Friday when swimmer Mark Malyar won top honors while also breaking a world record.
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Malyar, 21, won the men's 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:29.01. Andrii Trusov of Ukraine won the silver and the bronze was claimed by Colombia's Carlos Serrano Zarate.
This was Israel's second gold medal for Israel in Paralympic swimming in three days, a feat last marked in 2004.
On Wednesday, Iyad Shalabi, who won the 100-meter backstroke, made history when he became the first Arab Israel to medal in either the Paralympics or the Olympics.
Friday marked Malyar's first Paralympic medal. He is competing in Tokyo alongside his twin brother Ariel. Both were born with cerebral palsy and started swimming at age 5 for physical therapy.
At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships – moved from Malaysia to Britain after the former refused to allow Israeli athletes onto its soil – Malyar also won the gold and the silver medals and set a world record.
President Isaac Herzog phoned Malyar to congratulate him on the win.
"Mark, this is so exciting. You are unstoppable," Herzog said, according to a statement from his office. "Both a gold medal and a Made-in-Israel world record! I wish you, your brother, and your special coach Yaakov Beininson more medals over the course of the games. Well done!."
Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper praised Malyar's "amazing world record."
"Mark won an impressive gold medal and is again giving all of us great pride," Tropper said. "Another gold medal for Israel and another victory for a unique talent with a strong spirit."
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