Para swimmer Ernie Gawilan during the Allianz PNB Life and Philippine Sports Commission send off for the 2024 Paris Olympics at Makati Diamond Residences on June 20, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Veteran para swimmer Ernie Gawilan is headed to the finals of the men's 400-meter freestyle S7 event in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday.

Gawilan led from start to finish in Heat 2, finishing with a time of five minutes and .13 seconds to secure his place in the medal race at the La Defense Arena in Paris.

He finished third overall among eight qualifiers, behind American topnotcher Austin Evan (4:56.48), who came from behind to relegate Neutral Paralympic Athlete Alekseei Ganiuk  to runner-up honors (4:56.68) in heat 1.

"Hindi ko po binuhos lahat, mga 90 percent lang para maganda yung makuha ng magandang lane sa finals," said Gawilan.

READ: Ernie Gawilan gets another shot at Paralympics medal

This is the second straight Paralympics that Gawilan advanced to the final in the event, having finished sixth in the Tokyo edition in 2021

The finals is set for 5:30 p.m. in Paris (11:30 p.m. in Manila).

"Mas kundisyon po ako ngayon," added the 33-year-old Davao City native. "Kailangan maghanda mamaya sa finals."

Gawilan has a personal best of 4:54.24 in the event when he made his Paralympic Games debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.

His performance was a great comeback after bowing out early in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7 event over the weekend.

Gawilan was the fastest from the get-go, completing the first 50 meters in 35.47 seconds, slowed down slightly at the halfway point, before gaining his second wind to finish strongly and way ahead of the pack.

"The others were also pacing themselves kaya hindi dapat maging overconfident. Bahala na po at ibubuhos ko na lang lahat talaga mamaya," he said.