Four-fifths of what we termed “the pre-Paralympics” are now in the books. World championships for track and field, swimming, cycling, and archery are complete, setting the stage for next year’s Paralympic Games. How did Team USA’s top amputee athletes perform? Here’s everything you need to know.
Track and Field
The top American amputee performers at the World Para Athletics Championships were Ezra Frech and Noelle Malkamaki, who both won gold medals and set new world records in the process. Frech took gold in the high jump (T63) with a leap of 1.95 meters, while Malkamaki dominated the shotput competition (F46) while breaking her own world record not once, but three times in six heaves. Her final mark of 13.32 meters was more than a full meter better than the previous record in a World Championship meet.
Also of note: US long jumpers finished 2-3-4 in the men’s T64 category, with Worlds rookie Derek Loccident taking silver, Jarryd Wallace claiming bronze, and Trenten Merrill finishing just off the podium. Americans also took the top two slots in T64 men’s discus (David Blair and Jeremy Campbell). The full listing of medals by amputee athletes is below; in the overall medal count, Team USA finished third in both total medals (39) and golds (10). You can download the complete results at paralympic.org.
GOLD
David Blair, T64 discus
Ezra Frech, T63 high jump (WR)
Noelle Malkamaki, F46 shotput (WR)
SILVER
Jeremy Campbell, T64 discus
Josh Cinnamo, F46 shotput
Blake Leeper, T62 400m
Derek Loccident, T64 long jump
Tanner Wright, T47 400m
BRONZE
Samantha Heyison, F64 shotput
Samantha Heyison, F64 discus
Jarryd Wallace, T64 long jump
Taleah Williams, T47 long jump
Swimming
Morgan Stickney returned to championship form barely a year after revision surgery on both of her residual limbs. The 2021 Paralympic multimedalist won two golds (in the 100m and 400m freestyle) in women’s S8 competition, setting a new world record in the 400. Teammate Jessica Long won two gold medals of her own, the 36th and 37th of her storied career. Veteran amputee swimmers Julia Gaffney and Elizabeth Marks each won multiple medals. The full list of US amputee winners is below; complete results table is here.
GOLD
Jessica Long, S8 100m butterfly
Jessica Long, SM8 200m individual medley
Morgan Stickney, S8 100m freestyle
Morgan Stickney, S8 400m freestyle (WR)
SILVER
Julia Gaffney, S7 100m backstroke
Julia Gaffney, SM7 200m individual medley
BRONZE
Julia Gaffney, S7 50m butterfly
Elizabeth Marks, S6 50m butterfly
Elizabeth Marks, SM6 200m individual medley
Cycling
Samantha Bosco missed the 2021 Paralympics for the worst of reasons—she got seriously hurt in an accident just weeks before the Tokyo Games and could not compete. But the C4 cyclist bounced back with five medals (two gold) at last year’s Worlds, and she achieved nearly identical results this year with another five-medal, two-gold haul. She now has 19 career medals (5 gold) in world championship competition. She’ll be looking for her first Paralympic golds next summer in Paris.
The only other US amputee cyclist to medal this year was the indomitable Oksana Masters, who won the H5 road race in a tight three-way finish over Chantal Haenen (Netherlands) and Andrea Eskau (Germany). Full road-racing results are available here; track-racing results are at this link.
Archery
Only one US amputee made the podium at this year’s Archery Para Championships. Matt Stutzman and his partner, Kevin Polish, took bronze in the Men’s Compound Bow Open Doubles competition. The full results table is at this link.