She’s the face of her sport, and was among the best in the world before some athletes here even began competing. Now she’s in Minneapolis, aiming to earn a trip to Paris to lead the U.S. team again. And her name is not Simone Biles. Jessica Long is a Paralympic swimmer who has won a staggering 29 medals in five trips to the Paralympics since 2004.
Jessica Long sits on the starting bench before the women’s 100 breaststroke at the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Swim Team Trials in Minneapolis on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Jessica Long talks with Julia Gaffney prior to swimming at the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Swim Team Trials in Minneapolis , Friday, June 28, 2024. Jessica Long after swimming the women’s 100 backstroke at the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Swim Team Trials in Minneapolis , Thursday, June 27, 2024.
Long was born with fibular hemimelia, a genetic disease that occurs during pregnancy and left her without fibulas, ankles and most bones in her feet. At 18 months old, her legs were amputated just below the knees.Olympics 2024: How to watch, when it starts, key dates in ParisAfter each race, Long gets out of the pool, sits in a folding chair alongside one of the outer lanes and dries off.
“It’s exciting to see just the longevity of her career,” Popovich said. “Swimming is a hard sport, and to be able to properly maintain your body over that period of time is really incredible.” While preparing, she relies on her support system of her husband, family and teammates. She’s from Baltimore, but lives away from family in Colorado Springs at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, where athletes have access to a 45,000-square-foot aquatics center.
“When the lights come up and it’s time to race she’s always ready to go and ready to excel,” Popovich said.
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