Dzmitry Salei

Started: He began swimming at age 11 in Maladzyechna, Belarus. (Athlete, 04 Mar 2019) Reason: He enjoyed the sport. (Athlete, 15 Jul 2015) Awards: He has received the title of Master of Sport of International Class in Belarus. (paradefsport.by, 27 Dec 2019; Athlete, 04 Mar 2019) In recognition of his performance at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he received the Order for Service to the Fatherland [third grade] in Azerbaijan. (president.az, 21 Sep 2016) Additional Info: BROTHERLY BRONZE At the 2019 World Championships in London, England, he and his younger brother Raman Salei, who represented Azerbaijan, were both awarded bronze medals in the S12 50m freestyle after finishing with exactly the same time [24.32s]. (sportpanorama.by, 12 Sep 2019; paralympic.org, 11 Sep 2019) REPRESENTATIONS He competed for Belarus at the Paralympic Games in 2008 and 2012, but switched to represent Azerbaijan ahead of the 2014 European Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and he competed for Azerbaijan at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. By 2018 he was representing Belarus again, and he went on to compete for the nation at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Aug 2024; paradefsport.by, 20 Aug 2018; insidethegames.biz, 04 Aug 2014; pressball.by, 03 Dec 2013)

Sporting Relatives: His younger brother Raman Salei has represented Azerbaijan in Para swimming, including at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games, and he won three gold medals at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. He represented Belarus earlier in his career, including at the 2010 World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Aug 2024; sportpanorama.by, 12 Sep 2019; president.az, 21 Sep 2016)