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Swimmer Elena Semechin, who competed under her birth name Krawzow, at the International German Championships in Berlin
Photo:
Tilo Wiedensoler / IMAGO / camera4+
Despite her chemotherapy, Paralympics winner Elena Semechin won a medal at the International German Championships in Berlin.
On her 100-meter breaststroke showpiece, the visually impaired swimmer finished second in the national ranking in 1:18.54 minutes.
It was the first competition for the 28-year-old, 212 days after her triumph in Tokyo and the diagnosis of a brain tumor.
"My results are better than expected," Semechin wrote on Instagram.
In the preliminary heat, the Berliner even swam 1:16.84 minutes and was only three seconds faster than her winning time from Japan.
Despite strong international competition, she even qualified for the A final, in which she was the second best German in all classes behind Verena Schott.
In October, Semechin (née Krawzow) was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and at the beginning of November she survived the difficult operation well.
Two days earlier she had married her coach Philip Semechin.
Her lengthy chemotherapy began at the end of the year, and the second cycle only ended last Sunday.
"Even though the second chemo cycle was not easy and I spent a few days in bed, I decided to swim in the competition," wrote Germany's Para Athlete of the Year on Instagram.
“I don't want cancer to rule my everyday life.
I want to be the boss of my life myself,” Semechin said.
Her big goal is to start at the World Championships in Madeira from June 12th to 18th, the competition in her hometown Berlin should be a test run for it.
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