Sergey Punko
Sergey Punko is a formerly Belarusian, now Russian, Paralympic swimmer. He was born with a progressive eye disease, but had normal sight as a child. He started swimming at age 10, and competed nationally and internationally in able-bodied competition until he was 21. By that time, he had less than 5% vision. Classified S12, he began swimming in disability meets in 2002. He quickly broke long-standing world records, and was named World Disabled Swimmer of the Year in 2003.
Up to the 2012 Paralympic Games he has won four gold, six silver and three bronze medals. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, he won a gold and silver medals for Russia.
In February 2013, Punko held S12 long course world records in 200, 400 and 800 metre freestyle and 200 metre butterfly events.
