Hildebrand was the first of the Swedish Paralympians to compete in Paris. But there will be no final on the 100-meter backstroke, class S2, for the 29-year-old swimmer.
The Swede's time in the trials, 2:45.44, gave a ninth place overall. A time of 2:22.50 was required to reach the final as one of eight.
It doesn't matter that much. I knew it would be quite difficult to reach the final, says Hildebrand to SVT.
Just getting to make his Paralympic debut in front of a packed audience is a dream come true, he says.
Imagine the biggest concert you've ever been to, it feels exactly like that in here.
It's so fantastic here.
Conrad Hildebrand was a promising swimmer without a disability when, at the age of 16, he broke his neck in an accident at his high school in Stockholm.
I would always show off for everyone. And I would do a stylish parkour jump out of the window, Conrad Hildebrand has recounted in SVT's documentary "The Window that Changed Everything".
He became wheelchair-bound but later returned to swimming, but as a para-athlete.
Hildebrand will also compete in the 50 and 200-meter backstroke in Paris.
