11-Time Paralympic Champion Sophie Pascoe To Miss Paris Paralympics

Sophie Pascoe during the Swimming NZ Open Championships, Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre, Auckland, New Zealand, Monday 3 April 2017. Photo: Simon Watts/www.bwmedia.co.nz

Photo Courtesy: Simon Watts, BW Media Photography

11-Time Paralympic Champion Sophie Pascoe To Miss Paris Paralympics

New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe, an 11-time Paralympic champion, will miss the Paralympics in Paris this summer after giving birth to a child.

Pascoe announced the birth of a son with her partner in April. This week, she announced that she will sit out the Paralympics to spent time with her family, though it isn’t a retirement for 31-year-old.

“Although I’ll miss the opportunity to represent New Zealand in Paris, this decision comes as a result of recently becoming a new mother and I am wholeheartedly embracing this new chapter in my life,” Pascoe said in an interview. “Representing New Zealand is an honour and privilege and I remain committed to contributing my experience and knowledge to the New Zealand team in their preparations. This is not an announcement of retirement from competitive swimming, rather I am looking ahead to potential competitions in 2025 and beyond.”

Pascoe first competed at the Paralympics in 2008 at age 15, winning three gold medals and a silver in Beijing. She added three golds in both London and Rio, then gold in the S9 100 freestyle and SM9 200 individual medley in Tokyo in 2021, in addition to a silver and a bronze. Pascoe is an 19-time Paralympic medalist and holds four world records.

She has won 12 gold medals at the long-course World Championships and 20 total, plus four gold and three bronze at the short-course Worlds and five Commonwealth Games golds over three events. Pascoe was awarded the Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022.

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