David Realista Grachat (born 21 January 1987) is a Portuguese para-

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, competing in S9 classification events. He has competed at three Summer Paralympic Games, 2008 in Beijing,

2012 in London 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

and 2016 in Rio. Grachat has won medals at both European and World level, and specializes in the 400m freestyle.

Personal history

Grachat was born in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, Portugal in 1987. He was born without a left hand.

Swimming career

Grachat took up swimming as a youth as his parents wanted him to improve his health. He was classified as a S9 swimmer and made his international debut for Portugal in 2005. Grachat made his Paralympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing competing in the 50 m and

100 m 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

freestyle S9 events and the 200 m individual medley (SM9). In the 50 m he failed to qualify for the finals finishing fourth in his heat. He performed better in the other events reaching the finals of both. He finished 6th in the 200m and 7th in the individual medley. In 2012 Grachat was selected for his second Paralympic Games, held in London. He entered four events, 50 m,

and

400 m The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is o ...

freestyle S9 races and the SM9 200m individual medley. He progressed through only one of the heats, the 400m freestyle, setting a national record of 4:24.10 to finish third in his race. At the final he bettered his own national record with a time of 4:21.94, but this was only good enough for a sixth-place finish. Grachat's first international success came in his favoured

400 m freestyle 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

at the

2014 IPC Swimming European Championships The 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships was an international swimming competition held in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, from the 4th to the 10th of August. Around 375 athletes from 35 different countries attended. The venue, the Pieter van d ...

in Eindhoven. There he posted a time of 4.26.61 to win the bronze medal. He bettered this the following year at the

2015 IPC Swimming World Championships The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships was an international swimming competition for athletes with a disability. It was held in Glasgow, United Kingdom and took place from 13 to 19 July. Around 580 athletes from around 70 countries competed at ...

in Glasgow where he won his first World Championship medal with a bronze in the Men's 400 metre freestyle. In the buildup to the

2016 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

in Rio, Grachat competed at the

2016 IPC Swimming European Championships The 2016 IPC Swimming European Championships was an international swimming competition. It was held in Funchal, Madeira running from 30 April to 7 May. Around 450 athletes from 50 different countries attended the competition. This was the last ma ...

, held on home soil in

Funchal Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of ...

. He again claimed a third place spot to take his second career European bronze.

References

External links

David Grachet at the International Paralympic Committee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grachat, David 1987 births Living people Portuguese male freestyle swimmers Paralympic swimmers for Portugal Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Swimmers from Lisbon S9-classified para swimmers Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Medalists at the World Para Swimming European Championships Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics 20th-century Portuguese people 21st-century Portuguese people