Marks’ win marked the first time she has ever been under 33 seconds in a race

Gold Medallist Yuyan Jiang of Team People’s Republic of China embraces Silver Medallist Ellie Marks of Team United States after the Women’s 50m Freestyle S6 Final on day one of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris La Defense Arena on August 29, 2024 in Nanterre, France. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty

Swimmer Ellie Marks just brought home Team USA’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games!

On Thursday, Aug. 29, Marks sprinted her way to silver in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S6 race, earning the U.S. its first medal of the Paris Paralympics.

Finishing with a time of 32.90, Marks was just behind China’s Jiang Yuyan, who won gold in 32.59. Rounding out the podium was Ukraine swimmer Anna Hontar, who took the bronze medal.

Silver medalist US’ Ellie Marks, gold medalist China’s Yuyan Jiang and bronze medalist Ukraine’s Anna Hontar celebrate on the podium of the women’s S6 50m freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games at The Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris on August 29, 2024.

FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty

Per Team USA, with her latest silver medal, Marks now has a total of six Paralympic medals – two golds, two silver and two bronze. Her medal count could also increase, as she’ll swim in four additional events: the 200-meter individual medley SM6, the 50-meter butterfly S6 and the 100-meter breaststroke S6.

Marks’ journey to becoming a Paralympic swimming champion began back in 2012, two years after she sustained a bilateral hip injury while in the Army. She was accepted into the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and found “fit for duty” as a 68w combat medic.

Since that time, over a decade later, Marks has excelled in the sport. In 2016 she was the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award at the ESPY Awards, and a year later was inducted into the Army Women’s Hall of Fame.

Marks made her official debut as a Paralympic swimmer at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and then competed again in the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Team USA had other standout moments in the pool on Thursday, as Christie Raleigh Crossley earned Team USA’s second medal of the 2024 Paralympic Games with a silver in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S10. China’s Yi Chen of China took gold and Canada’s Aurélie Rivard earned bronze.

In the women’s 100-meter butterfly S13, Grace Nuhfer — making her Paralympic debut — earned silver, behind Italy’s Carlotta Gilli who took gold and Muslima Odilova of Uzbekistan who finished third, earning bronze.