Third time lucky as Levy grabs bronze

Swimming in his fourth Paralympics 29-year-old NSWIS star Matt Levy might have begun to think he wouldn’t be able to add to his career Paralympic medal tally of six after a couple of near misses in Rio but that all changed on day 6.

On day 2 of the swimming program Levy was fourth in the S7 50m freestyle and on day 5 he was fifth in the S7 50m butterfly but overnight the bank administration officer at Westpac swam his way into the medal dais in the men’s SM7 200m IM.

Levy clocked 2:36.99 to finish third behind Ukraine’s Ievgenii Bogodaiko, who set a new world record for the classification of 2:30.72, and American Rudy Garcia-Tolson (2:33.87).

It was Levy’s second Paralympic bronze medal in the event following his effort in London four years ago.

Levy has the chance to add to his overall medal haul later in the meet when he contests the 400m freestyle, the 100m freestyle and if he is selected as part of Australia’s relay teams.

The Sydneysider, who has cerebral palsy and a vision impairment as a result of being born 15 weeks premature, has been a stalwart of Australian Paralympic relay teams in the pool winning gold in the 4x100m medley relay in Beijing and the 4x100m freestyle relay squad in London.

In other swimming action on day 6, Paige Leonhardt was 16^th in the women’s S10 100m freestyle, while Tim Hodge was 14^th in the men’s S9 50m freestyle.