Elena Krawzow (born 26 October 1993) is a blind German Paralympic swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and freestyle.[1][2] She has macular degeneration, leaving her with only 3% vision.[3]

Elena Krawzow
Personal information
Born (1993-10-26) 26 October 1993 (age 30)
Mergen, Kazakhstan
Home townBerlin, Germany
Sport
Country Germany
SportParalympic swimming
DisabilityStargardt's disease
Disability classS12/SB12/SM12
ClubBerliner Schwimmteam
Medal record
Women's para swimming
Representing  Germany
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 100m breaststroke SB13
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 100m breaststroke SB13
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montreal 100m breaststroke SB13
Gold medal – first place 2019 London 100m breaststroke SB13
Gold medal – first place 2023 Manchester 100m breaststroke SB12
Silver medal – second place 2022 Madeira 100m breaststroke SB13
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Monteal 50m freestyle S13
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Eindhoven 100m breaststroke SB13
Gold medal – first place 2016 Funchal 100m breaststroke SB13
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 50m freestyle S12
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 100m breaststroke SB13
Gold medal – first place 2018 Dublin 200m individual medley SM13
Silver medal – second place 2014 Eindhoven 50m freestyle S13
Silver medal – second place 2014 Eindhoven 200m individual medley SM13
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Dublin 100m butterfly S12
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Dublin 100m freestyle S12

Early life and career edit

Born in Mergen, a village in southern Kazakhstan, Elena Krawzow emigrated with her German-Kazakhstani family, moving to Russia, where she was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Whilst in Russia, Krawzow attend a boarding school for disabled children, before resettling in Germany aged 11.[3][4][5]

Krawzow won a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke - SB13 at the 2012 London Paralympics[3] before finishing fifth in the same event at Rio 2016.;[6] she went on to win the gold medal in the same category at Tokyo 2020.[7]

Personal life edit

In October 2020 Krawzow appeared topless on the front cover of the German edition of Playboy.[3] She got engaged to her boyfriend Phillip in the aftermath of Tokyo 2020. In 2021 she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Elena Krawzow - IPC Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Elena Krawzow". Team Deutschland (in German). Archived from the original on 7 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Elena Krawzow: The Paralympian who posed for Playboy magazine". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Паралимпийка Елена Кравцова едет в Рио за медалью для Германии". liveberlin.ru. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  5. ^ Apitius, Benjamin (10 September 2019). "So weit die Flügel tragen". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Women's 100m Breaststroke - SB13 - Final". Rio 2016 Paralympics. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 16 May 2022.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Women's 100 metre breaststroke SB13 – Final results" (PDF). Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2022.

External links edit