Inbal Pezaro recovered from a slow start to give Israel its first medal of the 2012 London Paralympics.
The five-time Paralympic medallist added a bronze to her collection after a miraculous comeback in the 50m freestyle final.
She said: "I'm happy to have given Israel a lucky start to the Games."
Pezaro, 25, had finished runner-up in her heat at the Aquatics Centre.
She won a silver and bronze in Athens in 2004 and a further three silvers in Beijing in 2008.
Pezaro, who was born with a blood problem in her spinal cord which causes a disability involving in her lower limbs, has further medal hopes in three other races at the Games.
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