The U.S. Paralympics has named 42 athletes, including ten reigning world champions, to the 2015 Track & Field National Team. The first woman to win six events at a World Championship, Tatyana McFadden, and the first man to win five, Raymond Martin, headline the roster. Martin beat his own 200m T52 world record at the 2014 Desert Challenge Games in Mesa, Arizona, as well as taking gold in the 100m, 800m, and 1,500m events at the same meet. McFadden won her second-straight marathon grand slam, winning the 2014 London, Boston, Chicago, and New York Marathons. The 2015 roster includes seven other reigning world champions: Jeremy Campbell, men’s discus F44; Joshua George, men’s 800m T53; Elexis Gillette, men’s long jump T11; Cassie Mitchell, women’s shot put F52/53; and Jarryd Wallace, men’s 200m T44. Richard Browne, Jerome Singleton, and Wallace won gold in the men’s 4x100m relay T42-46.
The 2015 season is highlighted by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, October 21-31. The 2015 IPC Athletics Marathon World Championships will be held separately as part of the London Marathon on April 26.
“This is going to be a very exciting year for our national team athletes,” said Cathy Sellers, high performance director for U.S. Paralympics Track & Field. “Last year was all about growth for both our new athletes and our veterans, but with the World Championships this year, we are focused on getting our athletes on the podium and preparing for [the 2016 Paralympic Games in] Rio [de Janeiro, Brazil].”
Other 2015 Track & Field National Team members include the following (additional athletes may be added to the team roster throughout the season):
Women: Natalie Bieule, Kym Crosby, Alexa Halko, April Holmes, Chelsea McClammer, Hannah McFadden, Amanda McGrory, Kerry Morgan, Rachel Morrison, Grace Norman, Shirley Reilly, Susannah Scaroni, and Stephanie Timmer.
Men: Jerome Avery, David Brown, AJ Digby, Tobi Fawehinmi, JaQuvis Hart, Erik Hightower, Gianfranco Iannotta, Hurie Johnson, Trenton Merrill, David Prince, Austin Pruitt, Scot Severn, Brian Siemann, Jeffrey Skiba, Rolland Slade, Scott Stokes, Steven Toyoji, Wes Williams, Hunter Woodhall, and Regas Woods.