Hunter Woodhall Achieves Historic Gold Medal Victory at Paris 2024 Paralympics
On September 6, 2024, at the Stade de France, United States sprinter Hunter Woodhall captured his first Paralympic gold medal in the men’s 400m T62 final. His victory comes shortly after his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, earned an Olympic gold in the women’s long jump in the same venue just weeks prior.
Upon crossing the finish line, Woodhall expressed disbelief at his achievement, stating, “When I crossed the line, I was like, ‘Am I really first this time or am I still dreaming?'” In a heartfelt celebration, he rushed to the stands to embrace his wife, encapsulating the shared joy of this Olympic-Paralympic couple, both of whom have reached remarkable heights in their athletic careers. Woodhall acknowledged the pivotal role his wife and his team have played in his preparation and success, saying, “Every day with Tara we are eating together, training together, recovering together. I also have an incredible team. Those people are who make these moments worth it.”
In a role reversal, while Woodhall had previously cheered from the stands as Tara competed for her Olympic title, she was there to support him this time. Davis-Woodhall expressed her nervous excitement and overwhelming pride in her husband’s performance: “I was so nervous, I was so pumped – knowing he was ready to run and how much he wanted to win. And now he has. It was a dream for us to both win gold and now we have. We will be wearing these golds for the rest of our lives.”
Woodhall’s strategic race saw him finish ahead of Germany’s reigning champion, Johannes Floors, with a time of 46.36 seconds. Notably, this gold medal marks Woodhall’s fourth Paralympic medal. Later that evening, he also contributed to the United States securing a bronze in the 4x100m universal relay alongside teammates Noah Malone, Taylor Swanson, and Tatyana McFadden, the latter earning her remarkable 22nd Paralympic medal in the process.
The Stade de France also witnessed extraordinary performances from other athletes. The Dutch team dominated the women’s 100m T64 event, with Fleur Jong clinching gold, followed by Kimberly Alkemade and Tokyo 2020 champion Marlene van Gansewinkel.
New records were established during the evening’s events, with Great Britain’s Ben Sandilands setting a world record in the men’s 1500m T20 with a time of 3:45.40. Additionally, China shattered the 4x100m universal relay world record first in the heats and then again in the finals.
In the morning session, Italy’s Assunta Legnante won gold in the women’s shot put F12, delighting in her choice of sports attire—an eye mask inspired by the renowned artwork of the Mona Lisa—signifying Italy’s cultural ties to the host nation, France.
As the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games progress, spectators are guaranteed more moments of inspiration and celebration, showcasing the incredible abilities of these remarkable athletes. The events of September 6th set a promising tone for continued achievements and record-breaking performances in the days to come.
The results from the Para athletics events held on September 6, 2024, are as follows:
Morning Session
– Women’s Long Jump – T47 Final:
Gold: Kiara Rodriguez (Ecuador)
Silver: Petra Luteran (Hungary)
Bronze: Bjoerk Noerremark (Denmark)
– Women’s Shot Put – F12 Final:
Gold: Assunta Legnante (Italy)
Silver: Safiya Burkhanova (Uzbekistan)
Bronze: Zhao Yuping (China)
– Men’s Javelin Throw – F54 Final:
Gold: Ivan Revenko (NPA)
Silver: Edgar Ulises Fuentes Yanez (Mexico)
Bronze: Emmanouil Stefanoudakis (Greece)
– Men’s 1500m – T20 Final:
Gold: Ben Sandilands (Great Britain)
Silver: Sandro Baessa (Portugal)
Bronze: Michael Brannigan (United States)
– Women’s 1500m – T20 Final:
Gold: Barbara Bieganowska-Zajac (Poland)
Silver: Liudmyla Danylina (Ukraine)
Bronze: Antonia Keyla da Silva Barros (Brazil)
– Men’s 100m – T52 Final:
Gold: Maxime Carabin (Belgium)
Silver: Marcus Perrineau Daley (Great Britain)
Bronze: Tomoki Sato (Japan)
– Men’s High Jump – T64 Final:
Gold: Praveen Kumar (India)
Silver: Derek Loccident (United States)
Bronze: Temurbek Giyazov (Uzbekistan)
– Men’s Discus Throw – F37 Final:
Gold: Tolibboy Yuldashev (Uzbekistan)
Silver: Jesse Zesseu (Canada)
Bronze: Haider Ali (Pakistan)
Evening Session
– Women’s Javelin Throw – F46 Final:
Gold: Naibys Daniela Morillo Gil (Venezuela)
Silver: Shahinakhon Yigitalieva (Uzbekistan)
Bronze: Hollie Arnold (Great Britain)
– Men’s Shot Put – F57 Final:
Gold: Yasin Khosravi (Iran)
Silver: Thiago Paulino dos Santos (Brazil)
Bronze: Hokato Hotozhe Sema (India)
– Women’s 100m – T64 Final:
Gold: Fleur Jong (Netherlands)
Silver: Kimberly Alkemade (Netherlands)
Bronze: Marlene van Gansewinkel (Netherlands)
– Men’s 400m – T62 Final:
Gold: Hunter Woodhall (United States)
Silver: Johannes Floors (Germany)
Bronze: Olivier Hendriks (Netherlands)
– Women’s Long Jump – T20 Final:
Gold: Karolina Kucharczyk (Poland)
Silver: Zileide Cassiano da Silva (Brazil)
Bronze: Fatma Damla Altin (Türkiye)
– Women’s Discus Throw – F38 Final:
Gold: Simone Kruger (South Africa)
Silver: Li Yingli (China)
Bronze: Xiomara Saldarriaga Hernandez (Colombia)
– 4x100m Universal Relay Final:
Gold: China
Silver: Great Britain
Bronze: USA
– Men’s 100m – T51 Final:
Gold: Cody Fournie (Canada)
Silver: Peter Genyn (Belgium)
Bronze: Toni Piispanen (Finland)
The remarkable achievements displayed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games continue to inspire fans around the globe, uniting athletes in their quest for excellence.
Post Comment