Caleb Jarreau
| Special for USA TODAY
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PARIS — U.S. wheelchair rugby team captain Chuck Aoki has been playing on the international stage since 2009. He was just 21 years old at his first Paralympic Games.
He thought every loss was devastating during those early years. Eventually, he realized there would be more matches, but it doesn’t make the losses hurt any less. It was a pain the 33-year-old felt on Monday night after a devastating 48-41 loss to Japan in the gold medal matchup.
Even 12 years into his Paralympic career and with a silver medal around his neck, the losses don’t get any easier for Aoki.
“I feel so bad for this team,” Aoki said. “Everyone works so hard to get to this level, and we were close, but just wasn’t enough.”
The Americans were in the driver’s seat for much of the first half of the game, leading by three heading into the second period. Japan tied it up with 2:31 remaining in the second period, and then the two went back and forth until the Americans couldn’t find a response.
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The offense struggled, and the Japanese were able to take advantage of some ill-timed turnovers. Josh Wheeler, of Tuscon, Arizona, summed it up as adjustments the team just didn’t make quick enough.
When the match went final, and it was apparent that the 16-year gold-medal drought would turn into 20, the Americans embraced in an emotional huddle.
“Every team here would’ve, other than Japan, would’ve loved to place silver — to take home silver,” Wheeler said, recalling the final huddle. “Still hold your heads high, second in the world’s not bad.”
Josh Wheeler, team look ahead to future
Wheeler, 44, another veteran of the American group, was non-committal about his future following the game. He said it would be cool to play in 2028 in Los Angeles, but also admitted he is getting up there in age.
The answer varied from his counterpart Aoki — who didn’t hesitate to say he would play in Los Angeles.
“I’ve got a bachelor’s degree, I’ve got a master’s degree,” Wheeler said. “It’s still painful because you want to win. I’m a competitive person, but I’ve got a lot going on in my life. Also, it’s pretty special still to be able to have my family up in the stands.”
While Wheeler is unsure what his future holds, he is excited about the young talent coming through the U.S. wheelchair rugby program. First-time medalists include Sarah Adam, Clayton Brackett, Brad Hudspeth, Josh O’Neill, Zion Redington and Mason Symons.
Adam, in particular, shined in her Paralympic debut. She finished the tournament averaging double-digit tries per game, including 14 in the gold medal game.
“I’m excited to see what the future holds for the program,” Wheeler said. “So there’s a lot of talent that’s up and coming that, hopefully, they can keep, keep it coming and keep growing and developing and be dominant in the future.”
Wheeler, if he were to return for the 2028 Games, would be seeking his first elusive gold medal. He now holds three silver medals since making his debut in London.
The silver medals have offered great experiences for Wheeler, but they have brought heartbreak as well along the way. There’s motivation that comes with the heartbreak — a set of emotions Wheeler has become familiar with.
“Everybody wants to be No. 1in the world,” Wheeler said. “Everybody wants to have a gold medal and not getting it gives you that desire to work hard to be able to get it in the future.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-02 10:54:00
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