Paralympic swimmer Takayuki Suzuki was, to use an apt turn of phrase, thrown into the deep end in his first race at the Paris Games.

The men¡¯s 50-meter breaststroke race in the SB3 class was a straight final. So there were no earlier races to help Suzuki warm up or get acclimated to competing in the pool at Paris La Defense Arena. It was winner-take-all from the start and, despite being in his sixth Paralympics, Suzuki felt a little nervous.

¡°I had to do my best performance in the final,¡± Suzuki told The Japan Times. ¡°Only in the final. So that¡¯s why I was a bit nervous.¡±