Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – Swimming – Men’s 200m Individual Medley – SM7 Final – Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan – August 27, 2021. Mark Malyar of Israel in action REUTERS/Marko Djurica

i24 News – Israeli Paralympic swimmer Mark Malyar on Friday broke a world record in 200 meter race as he won a gold medal in the Tokyo Games.

The achievement follows that of Arab-Israeli Paralympian swimmer Iyad Shalabi, who won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke on Wednesday.

Malyar, 21, was named Athlete of the Year by the Israeli Paralympic Committee in 2017.

He took up swimming at age five with his twin brother Ariel, who also has cerebral palsy, after both were advised to take up swimming for physical therapy.