Chambers wins 4 gold medals at World Para Swimming Championships

SINGAPORE — Former UNI swimmer Olivia Chambers took the para swimming world by storm this week, capturing 4 gold medals on the World Para Swimming Championships on the OCBC Aquatics Center in Singapore.

One yr faraway from profitable one gold and two silver medals on the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Chambers, swimming in her second world para championships, added to her medal complete that included two silver and 4 bronze medals from the 2023 world championships in England.

Chambers’ first of 4 gold medals in Singapore got here within the SB13 100-meter breaststroke, the place she clocked a profitable time of 1:17.34 to beat out Roisin Ni Riain of Ireland by practically one and a half seconds. Neutral Athlete Anastasiya Zudzilava would take house bronze within the occasion.

In the S13 100-meter freestyle, Chambers topped reigning world champion Carlotta Gilli of Italy by practically a second in 1:00.11 for her second gold medal of the championships, passing Gilli within the remaining 50 meters after trailing early. Chambers’ American teammate Grace Nuhfer would take the bronze medal.

Chambers third aim medal efficiency got here within the S13 400-meter freestyle, the occasion she captured gold in ultimately summer time’s Paralympic Games in Paris. Swimming a time of 4:29.99, she notched the second-fastest time of her profession, simply shy of her gold medal profitable time from Paris a yr in the past. Riain completed the occasion in second (4:37.39) and Nuhfer in third (4:43.78).

In the SM13 200-meter particular person medley, Chambers would path Gilli on the opening butterfly leg, however rapidly took the lead following the backstroke leg, main the remainder of the way in which to complete with a time of two:25.83, 2.86 seconds. Gilli would take silver in 2:28.69 with Riain in third (2:29.75).

Chambers additionally took house a bronze medal in Singapore within the S13 50-meter freestyle with a career-best time of 27.63, whereas ending fourth within the S13 100-meter butterfly with one other career-best mark (1:05.60)

Team USA completed atop the gold medal rely, tying with Italy with 18 gold medals gained at this yr’s championships, whereas profitable 35 complete medals, second solely to Italy’s 46.

Chambers, a Little Rock, Arkansas native who swam for the Panthers from 2021 to 2025, will graduate from UNI this December with a level in biology. During her 4 yr profession with Northern Iowa, she was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) performer, incomes first crew honors as a senior. 

In 2024, Chambers was named the recipient of the MVC’s Most Courageous Award, introduced yearly to former or present student-athletes, coaches or college directors who exhibit uncommon braveness within the face of non-public sickness, adversity or tragedy and whose habits displays honor on the establishment or the convention.

Chambers was additionally a embellished scholar, being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team thrice, whereas additionally being a three-time recipient of the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award and Honor Roll. She additionally earned MVC Board of Directors’ Academic Excellence Award honors and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District recognition in 2025.

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