Alice Tai finishes the Paris 2024 Paralympics with five medals

By Megan Armitage at La Defense Arena

Alice Tai went into the pain cave to make it five medals from five events at Paris 2024 with bronze in the 100m butterfly.

The para swimmer touched the wall for third in a time of 1:13.60, a good four seconds off her personal best in Paris but couldn't feel any remorse having pushed the pace so early on.

Tai went out hard on the first 50m almost a body length ahead of Paralympic legend Jessica Long of the USA, but was unable to hold the pace and faded away to third in the final 20m, narrowly touching out British teammate Brock Whiston for bronze.

“It’s probably one of the silliest races I’ve ever swam,” said Tai, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

The first 50 felt really nice, I got to the last 20 metres and it just started getting worse to the point where I thought ‘I don’t care where I come, I just want to finish’. So to get the bronze is great.

"My best time this season would have won it. There’s always that voice in the back of my head thinking maybe I could have done more but I’m tired after this week."

Tai comes away with five medals from her second Games, taking her overall tally up to seven after winning a gold and bronze at Rio 2016.

It's a position she would never have placed herself in coming into the Games, modestly noting that she was only looking for medals in two of her events.

It's also a position she would never have dreamed of eight years ago at Rio.

Tai has previously spoken about her struggled with her mental health during that time and noted that bronze in Paris brings a whole different meaning and perspective compared to then.

“I’m so much happier," she said. "A lot of my friends who have been with me since Rio are commenting on how much happier I am, they can see it, which means a lot.

"I got a 100m backstroke bronze in Rio, went up to my room afterwards and just cried as I didn’t feel happy with it.

"Now I can say I’ve enjoyed every day, even rubbish swims like that 100 fly, I enjoyed it and I’m stood here genuinely happy with coming third with a time four seconds off my best. I’ve come a long way in the last eight years.”

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