Eagan native Mallory Weggemann wins gold, silver in Paris Paralympics swimming

Minnesota for the win.

On Saturday, Eagan native Mallory Weggemann secured the silver medal in the women’s 50m butterfly S7 final with a time of 34.94. Canadian Danielle Dorris took the gold with a time of 33.62, while bronze went to Giulia Terzi of Italy with a 35.40.

Weggemann claimed gold in the women’s 200m individual medley on Aug. 31, making her current in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The 35-year-old has been to the Paralympic games four times, with a total of four gold, two silver and one bronze medal to show for her efforts. She also has a total of 17 medals from world championships dating back to 2009.

Weggemann has been a swimmer since age 7. At 18, she was paralyzed from a medical procedural error after an epidural injection to treat back pain. Only a few months after the procedure, she went to the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center to watch the U.S. Swim Team Trials competition for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and decided to return to the sport.

Another Minnesota swimmer — Natalie Sims, 27, of Edina — claimed bronze as part of the mixed 4 by 100m freestyle relay 34 points event. During the Paris Paralympics, Sims also took fifth in the 100m freestyle S9 race, and sixth in the 200m individual medley SM9.

Sims began her swimming career at age 13, and in four years became one of the fastest youth swimmers on the Minneapolis YWCA swim club, the Otters.

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