Amid the cheers of the crowd, Gabrielzinho left Russia's Vladimir Danilenko, who competed under a neutral flag and finished in 2:01.34, and Chile's Alberto Abarza Díaz, who clocked 2:01.97, trailing behind. From the outset, Gabrielzinho established a commanding lead, maintaining his advantage throughout the race.

The Brazilian swimmer, aiming for a triple gold victory in Paris, is no stranger to success. He previously won two golds and a silver at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, with the silver medal earned in the same 100m backstroke event. After his latest win, Gabrielzinho expressed his elation, stating, "I am very happy, very emotional. I worked hard for this and did everything I could to turn that silver into gold."

Competing in the S2 category, which includes athletes with significant physical impairments, Gabrielzinho has continually demonstrated his remarkable skill. In this category, swimmers with varying degrees of disability compete, provided their ability to execute the required strokes is similar. The lower the category number, the greater the impairment, making Gabrielzinho's triumphs even more impressive.

Gabrielzinho, who has over 50,000 Instagram followers, was born with phocomelia, a condition that causes underdeveloped limbs. Despite having stumps for arms and atrophied legs, he has developed a unique swimming technique, propelling himself with dolphin-like pelvic movements. This technique is the result of intense training six times a week in his hometown pool in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, celebrated Gabrielzinho’s victory on social media platform X, proclaiming, "The first medal for Brazil at the Paris Paralympics is gold." Brazil continued to shine in the pool, with Phelipe Andrews Melo taking silver in the 50m freestyle S10 and Gabriel Bandeira earning bronze in the 100m butterfly S14, adding to the nation's impressive medal haul.

The host nation, France, also celebrated a golden moment as Ugo Didier, 22, won the 400m freestyle S9, securing the first gold for the French team. Didier, who was born with clubfoot and weak knees, outpaced Italian world champion Simone Barlaam. Thrilled with his victory, Didier remarked to France Televisions, "It’s something crazy. The audience is incredible. I’m happy to have won gold at home," marking a new chapter in French swimming success following Léon Marchand’s achievements at the Olympics.