SAINT-DENIS, France — Roderick Townsend got here into his third Paralympic Video games having already gained back-to-back golds within the excessive soar in Tokyo and Rio.
Sunday he accomplished the three-peat.
The present world-record holder within the occasion added to his medal assortment by clearing a season-best 6 ft, 11 1/2 inches. Townsend, 32, stated he was nervous going into the competitors not simply because he had an underwhelming trials by his requirements, however due to his respect for the competitors in his group.
He pointed to runner-up Nishad Kumar particularly as somebody whom he relishes competing in opposition to.
“I understand how dangerous he desires it,” Townsend stated of Kumar. “He is aware of how dangerous I need it. I do know what that looks like after I misplaced the lengthy soar in Tokyo. I do know that feeling. He’s a younger man and he has a number of vitality and a number of potential. I do know Nishad goes to proceed to do nice issues.
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“I simply need him to have as many silver medals as doable,” the always-playful Townsend added.
Jaleen Roberts additionally picked up a medal, capturing silver within the T37 ladies’s lengthy soar. Each athletes mirrored on the distinction it made to have followers within the stands after a fairly quiet Video games in Tokyo.
“It’s sort of like my first Video games once more,” Roberts stated of getting followers again within the stands. “I believe it’s simply that very same pleasure amplified particularly with a French athlete in my class. The group went loopy and so I simply fed off that vitality and the little little bit of strain that comes with it.”
Roberts’ soar of 15 ft, 7 3/4 inches was ok for second place, however she stated she feels there might have been corrections in her type that, if she will be able to make, will make her a powerful contender for gold in Los Angeles in 2028.
It was a busy night time for the U.S. group as two different athletes discovered their solution to the rostrum. Coming off his gold medal victory within the 5000 meters, Daniel Romanchuk claimed one other medal − this time bronze − ending the T54 400m in 45.11 seconds. After a collision knocked Brian Siemann out of medal rivalry in Saturday’s 5000, he was capable of come again and make a podium with a third-place end within the T53 males’s 400.
Up subsequent for Hunter Woodhall
Hunter Woodhall superior to the lads’s 100m T64 last with a third-place end in his warmth at 11.02 seconds and shall be again Monday to compete for the gold.
Woodhall stated he was happy with advancing, however wished to concentrate on recalibrating his method.
“I believe these first few steps have been actually nice after which I received just a little excited,” he stated. “However we’ll clear it up within the finals, you will note tomorrow.”
Ezra Frech and Desmond Jackson additionally certified for Monday’s last within the T63 males’s 100m with third and fourth place finishes respectively.