U.S. Paralympic Team Continues Strong Performance
The United States Paralympic team demonstrated their prowess once again, adding ten medals to their tally and bringing their total count to 63 (15 gold, 17 silver, 31 bronze). This impressive performance secures Team USA’s position in third place among all competing nations.
Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Advances to Semifinals
In a thrilling match, the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team secured their spot in the semifinals with a 59-52 victory over Great Britain. The team’s success was largely attributed to outstanding performances by Rose Hollerman and Ixhelt Gonzalez, both achieving point rebound double-doubles. This win marks a significant milestone for the team, especially considering their previous semifinal loss to China during the Tokyo games.
Gonzalez expressed the team’s sentiment: “It feels amazing. We’ve been working on this moment for the past three years, ever since Tokyo (2020). We’ve had a few bumps in the road where tournaments were canceled and pushed back, but we’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Cycling Triumphs
The road cycling events proved particularly fruitful for Team USA, yielding three medals:
1. Oksana Masters secured her remarkable 18th Paralympic medal in the women’s H4-5 individual time trial, completing the course in under 24 minutes.
2. Kate Brim claimed her first-ever Paralympic gold in the H1-3 individual time trial.
3. Samantha Bosco earned gold in the C4 individual time trial with an impressive time of 21:39.24.
Bosco reflected on her performance: “I definitely am appreciating being here, being able to race my bike. When it got really hard and I felt like I was slowly dying, I just remembered those moments and just pushed with everything I had and left my heart out on the road.”
Athletics Showcase
The athletics events at the Stade de France continued to be a source of success for Team USA:
– Noelle Malkamaki secured gold in the women’s shot put.
– Derrick Loccident and Jarryd Wallace earned silver and bronze respectively in the men’s long jump-T64 final.
– Six-time Paralympian Tatyana McFadden claimed silver in the women’s 100-meter T54, narrowly missing gold by just 0.17 seconds.
Swimming Excellence
The U.S. swimming team maintained their stellar performance:
– Jessica Long clinched gold in the women’s 400-meter S8, marking her 30th Paralympic medal.
– Christie Raleigh-Crossley and Morgan Stickney both secured silver medals in their respective 100-meter freestyle events (S7 and S9 classifications).
Long shared her thoughts on the victory: “This is my sixth Paralympics that I’ve proven that I can win a gold medal. I just tried to channel and put my head down, and I was like: ‘You know what? This last 50m might hurt, but not doing well might hurt even more.'”
While the U.S. faced challenges in archery and wheelchair fencing, with competitors not advancing past early rounds, these setbacks provide valuable experience for future competitions. The Paralympic Games continue to showcase the exceptional skill, determination, and sportsmanship of athletes from around the world.
For a complete showing of medals, visit the IPC website.