PARIS (KCBD) – As the 2024 Paris Paralympics have come to an end, Los Angeles is officially now on the clock. Many American athletes are ready and prepared four years in advance.
Three years ago, LA-native Ezra Frech came to Tokyo with hopes of winning gold in his signature event- the men’s high jump. His experience, however, was then hampered by rainfall and a disappointing fifth-place finish. Soon after, he went on to start a social media campaign counting the days to Paris- all while guaranteeing that history wouldn’t repeat itself. His promise was made good, and he finished first in the men’s high jump T63– just days after doing the same in the men’s 100m T63. Athletes are placed in classifications, based on their degree of impairment.
Frech was born without most of his left leg, and some fingers on his left hand. This last week in France, more than 50 friends and family members were there to support him. Needless to say, there will be many more people three years from now in L.A., where Frech is widely expected to be a hometown favorite. For the time in-between, he will go against able-bodied athletes while representing the University of Southern California. In 2013, his father Clayton founded the Angel City Games- which provides opportunities for athletes who have disabilities.
This year’s Paralympics played host to more than four-thousand other athletes, many of which have already attracted mainstream attention.
One of this year’s most-popular stories is the new “First Family of Track”- Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall. Early last month, Hunter stood in the stands at Stade de France and stressfully watched his wife Tara claim her first Olympic gold in the women’s long jump. The two shared an emotional exchange moments after. Last Friday, the roles were reversed and Tara anxiously watched her husband earned his first Paralympic gold in the men’s 400m T62 race, along with a bronze in the 4×100 m mixed relay.
Another popular athlete from this year’s Paralympic Games is swimmer Ali Truwit. Just 16 months ago, Truwit lost part of her left leg after being attacked by a shark while on vacation in Turks & Caicos. Having swam collegiately for Yale, she used her training to swim more than 50 yards to safety. From there, she was flown in to Miami for life-saving surgery, and ended up needing an amputation. This week in Paris, she took silver in the women’s 400m freestyle S10 and 100m backstroke S10. Prior to her races Wednesday, she even received a call from legendary actor Tom Cruise. In ‘28, she will try to upgrade those two silvers to the best color of all.
Long-time swimmer Mallory Weggemann is also no stranger to the lights and cameras. The documentary “Watershed,” directed by her and husband Jay, chronicles her years in the pool, along with her journey to motherhood. The film, which can be seen on Peacoock, also describes how Weggemann lost her mobility in 2008 after an epidural injection. This summer, she came to Paris with five medals on her record. Unlike her previous medals, Mallory’s gold in the women’s 200m IM SM7 and silver in the 50m butterfly S7 were done with her 18-month-old daughter Charlotte in the crowd.
Weggemann is one of many long-time athletes who could very well try to extend their careers in order to be seen and supported in front of an American crowd. Her fellow swimmer Jessica Long, who has been featured on commercials for various companies such as Coca-Cola and Toyota, clinched her 30th and 31st medal- 400m freestyle S8 and 100m butterfly S8. A trip to LA would be Jessica’s seventh Paralympic appearance.
The same can be said of wheelchair sprinter Tatyana McFadden, who added medal 21 and 22 to her collection this week at the Stade de France track- taking a silver in the women’s 100m T54 and a bronze in the mixed 4 x100m relay.
Road cyclist Oksana Masters has already made seven appearances, given that she also competes as a Nordic skier in the Winter. This summer in Paris, she claimed golds in the women’s time trial H4-5 and women’s road race H4-5. Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989- with complications pertaining to the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. The 2028 Games would probably be her ninth go at the Paralympics, since she will try to defend her skiing titles 18 months from now in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
One American athlete who may not be seen in LA28 is archer Matt Stutzman. Years after he was born without both arms, has went on to build his brand as “The Armless Archer”. His unorthodox style of taking aim with his right foot, was good enough to give him his first-career gold last Sunday in the individual compound final. This goes with a silver earned 12 years ago in London. Stutzman has already stated this would likely be his final Paralympic run, but first wanted to enjoy his time in Paris before heading back to the States.
Team USA’s ended the Paralympics on a high note, while the women’s sitting volleyball team and men’s wheelchair basketball team both completed a three-peat. While both teams will try to make it four in a row, they will have that chance with a partisan crowd having their back.
This will be L.A.’s first time to host the Paralympics. The Games were first contested in 1952, at Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, as a way to provide relief to war veterans. While the City of Angels hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, the Paras were held in split locations- Stoke Mandeville and Nassau County, New York. Opening Ceremonies are scheduledfor August 15, 2018, and will take place at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum-sixteen days after the Olympic cauldron is extinguished.
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Publish date : 2024-09-08 15:10:00
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