(Courtesy Team USA)
U.S. Paralympic swimmer Brad Snyder made Baltimore proud last night, setting a world record and winning his fifth career gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.
Snyder completed the 100m men’s freestyle on Thursday night in 56.15 seconds. The time broke a record of 56.67 seconds set by John Morgan in 1986, according to the Team USA website.
Snyder lives in Canton and has trained for years at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. He lost his eyesight in 2011 after he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Navy.
Thursday was already a record-setting day for Snyder before his final race that night. During the morning, he set a record time in the prelim stage for the same event, touching the wall in 57.16 seconds, according to FOX45.
Snyder also won gold in the men’s 400m and 50m freestyle events this year, in addition to a silver medal in the men’s 100m backstroke.
The former Navy swimming captain now has five gold medals to show for his Paralympic career. In 2012, only a year after losing his sight, he took home gold in the 400m and 100m freestyle events at the London Paralympic Games.
