'I Can't Believe I Won': Swimmer Jessica Long Wins Paralympic Gold in Same Event 20 Years Apart

Long won gold in the 400m Freestyle S8 on Wednesday, Sept. 4

Jessica Long is golden — again!

The 32-year-old won gold in the 400-meter freestyle S8 at the Paralympic Games on Wednesday, Sept. 4, a full 20 years after she won gold in the same event back in 2004 at age 12.

"I just wanted to win a medal. I think it’s so funny because in Tokyo after Morgan Stickney beat me, I said was too old to ever do this event again, and here I am winning gold," Long told NBC after the race. "... I can't believe I won."

"Right by my bed, I have a picture of my husband, and a picture of little Jess winning a gold medal," she continued. "I won this gold when I was 12, and I just remember saying it’s now or never, and just tried my hardest." 

Team USA celebrated Long's incredible achievement on Instagram.

“Decades of dominance ????@jessicatatianalong wins Paralympic gold in the 400m Freestyle S8, the same event she won gold in at Athens 2004. #ParisParalympics,” Team USA wrote in their caption, alongside two photos of Long winning in 2024 and 2004.

Sharing the same snap on her Instagram, Long wrote, “This ????♥️,” before reposting her loved ones’ posts about the victory on her Instagram Stories.

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“That is the coolest way to show what a true GOAT you are in swimming. Just in awe of you❤️🙌❤️,” one person commented under her post, while fellow paralympian Alice Tai added, “the absolute BEST 🐐🔥.”

According to the Olympics website, Long swam to her 17th gold medal in a time of 4:48.74 on Wednesday.

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Great Britain's Alice Tai was then second at 4:52.24, while Italy’s Xenia Francesca Palazzo finished third in 5:00.13. Long and Tai traded off first place during the race, with Tai leading until the last 50 meters, when Long pulled ahead and narrowly took gold.

Long told NBC that she kept positive as she and Tai battled in the pool.

"I just said the race isn’t over, keep your head down and swim for the little girl who never gives up."

Long’s triumph brings her to a total of four gold medals in the women's 400m freestyle S8 over her long Paralympic career, along with eight silver medals and five bronze.

To learn more about all the Olympic champions and Paralympic hopefuls, come topeople.comto check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Paris Paralympics, beginning Aug. 28, on NBC and Peacock.

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