Salida swimmer Sophic Herzog hasn’t just made it to Toyko, Japan to compete in the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games — she’s already qualified for the finals for her first event.
“Sophie swam her first event yesterday (Aug. 25) the 200-meter Individual Medley (IM) and made the Olympic finals,” said her swim coach Wendy Gorie, speaking on Thursday by phone from North Carolina where she is visiting. “She ended up in seventh place in the finals last night!”
Gorie said she is bursting with pride over the swimmer she coaches. Speaking of the 200-IM (a combination of 50 meters each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle), she said the outcome was just a little bit of a wonderful surprise: “We were not expecting her to make the finals of the competition so she swam an incredible race.”
Herzog qualified to attend the Paralympic Games in three events. Gorie said that Herzog’s best event, the 100-meter breaststroke will be held on Saturday in Tokyo (which is actually Friday night in Salida).
Featured image: Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center displays banner for local Sophie Herzog at the 2020 Paralympic Games. Merrell Bergin photo
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