Day 7 of World Para Championships Brings 9 Medals for Team USA

NEW DELHI, INDIA – Yesterday it was raining in Delhi. Today it was raining medals for Team USA. The team captured nine medals today including a gold and a world record on the most successful day yet for the red white and blue.

The gold medal came early in the day. 17-year-old phenom Arelle Middleton was on fire in the shot put F44 (lower leg impairment) making it clear that a sensational career is only getting started. Middleton, a high school senior from California, threw 12.95 on her fourth attempt to move into the top medal position. No one would unseat her. Middleton’s gold medal is an upgrade from two consecutive silver-medal winning performances in the 2024 Paralympics and World Championships.

“It’s a great experience. This season has been very long“, said Middleton, the youngest U.S. medalist at these games. “I was always hoping to get gold, and it feels unreal to actually get it.”

Samantha Heyison was fourth in the competition with a best throw of 11.33 on her final attempt.

It was a big day for U.S. throwers who also claimed two silver medals in the evening session. Josh Cinnamo engaged in a thrilling back and forth with Canada’s Greg Stewart in the shot put F46. While Stewart ultimately won the gold, Cinnamo’s throw of 16.08 earned him the silver and at the age of 44, returned him to the global podium.

“It’s been a while since I have felt like I have been real competitive,” said Cinnamo. “We’ve been doing this for like ten years now, he and I, and it’s just good that we are bringing the top two back to North America.”

While unable to match his throw at the U.S. Championships, Max Rohn delivered another discus medal for Team USA. The combat veteran recorded a mark of 50.92 to clinch the silver medal on his third attempt.

“This was the first real test for me under pressure and we turned it into a silver medal,” said Rohn, who sustained severe damage to both legs when his vehicle was hit by a grenade in Iraq. “I’m just incredibly honored to be a combat wounded veteran in Paralympic sport.”

Alicia Guerrero added to her medal collection this morning, winning a bronze in the women’s shot put F64 (impairment or absence of limb in legs). Guerrero’s medal-clinching throw came on her fourth attempt when she hit a mark of 10.02. With two global medals in the discus including a bronze here earlier this week, this is Guerrero’s first medal in the shot put. 

“Thank you to everyone who was on the journey with me,” said an emotional Guerrero. “I’ve been going through ups and downs and this is a great way to end my season. To be able to share the medals and the glory with my home, it’s a big deal.”

It was also a big day for jumpers - both long and high. Beatriz Hatz won her third consecutive global bronze medal in the long jump T64. As she did in Paris, Hatz joined two Dutch jumpers on the podium with her second attempt of 5.38. 

“It was definitely a back and forth for that silver“, said Hatz who won bronze in Paris and Kobe in 2024. “All it takes is one good jump to keep that silver position and I didn’t have it in me today. But I can’t complain. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. I walked away with a bronze medal at the world championships. Just means I have more to do. ”

Annie Carey finished fourth in the mixed-category competition, but broke her own T44 world record, jumping 5.20m on her final attempt.

“A lot of relief. It’s nice to hit the mark, but it’s been a long two months training for long jump” said Carey, who also won a silver medal in the 100m. “It was nice to have that competition and represent that T44 class.”

The men’s T64 long jump finally got underway today after being delayed by yesterday’s storms. For Derek Loccident and Jarryd Wallace, it was worth the wait. Loccident twice jumped more than 8.0 while engaged in a fierce battle with Germany’s Markus Rehm. His 8.21m second attempt earned him the silver medal. It’s Loccident’s fourth consecutive silver medal in a world or Paralympic competition. Wallace slid into the bronze position on his fifth attempt jumping a season’s best 7.65m to claim his first ever medal in the long jump to go with his six global medals on the track. 

“I just felt great coming into the competition,” said Loccident, who also won the silver in the high jump at the 2024 Paris Games. “That was my main focus. Staying true to my training and the rest spoke for itself.”

“Today I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Wallace who competed in the long jump for the first time last year. “But I knew that if I kept the A-B-Cs, and the basics well that I could contend and man I started feeling it the last few jumps there. I’m so stoked.”

After five consecutive world titles, Roderick Townsend stepped into tonight’s high jump T47 when the bar was already set to 2.03m. But he couldn’t catch up to India’s Nishad Kumar who had momentum and the support of the home crowd. Kumar cleared 2.14, Turkey’s Abdullah Ilgaz cleared 2.08 and Townsend never jumped higher than his entry height which earned him the bronze medal. 

“I’m not pleased with the way that I went out, but I can say that I am proud of the sport as a whole,” said Townsend, who has also won the last three Paralympic titles. “The reason these guys are out here jumping the way they are is in large part because of the pressure we put on one another.”

Team USA captured one medal on the track today. In a near photo-finish, Hannah Dederick claimed her first global medal in a senior championship. Dederick set a personal best of 53.29 to edge out fourth place by two-tenths of a second and claim the bronze medal. 

“This class is deep. And I’ve been fighting all weekend,” said Dederick, who won seven gold medals in junior competition. Asked how she planned to celebrate, Dederick replied, “lots of hugs for people I appreciate.”

In morning qualification rounds, Mikey Brannigan, a favorite in the men’s 1500m T20 (intellectual impairment), advanced to the final after winning his heat in 3:56.95. Kerragan Johnson, Brittni Mason and Violet Hall all advanced to the semifinals in the 200m T47 (impairment in one arm or absence of limbs). For Johnson, it was a personal best of 26.57 second place finish in a world-record setting heat that moved her onto the final. Hall also finished second in her heat in 26.26 while Mason finished fourth in 26.19 in her heat, but got through on time. 

TOTAL MEDALS (24)

GOLD (4)

Jaydin Blackwell, 100m T38

Joel Gomez, 1500m T13 

Jaydin Blackwell, 400m T38

Arelle Middleton, shot put F44

SILVER (9)

Ezra Frech, high jump T63

Ryan Medrano, 100m T38

Samantha Heyison, discus F44 

Jessica Heim,  discus F44 

Taylor Swanson, 100m T37

Annie Carey, 100m T44

Max Rohn, discus T64

Josh Cinnamo, shot put T46

Derek Loccident, long jump T64

BRONZE (11)

Jaleen Roberts, long jump T37 

Katie Hwang, shot put F36

Kym Crosby, 100m T13

Alicia Guerrero, discus F64 

Kym Crosby, 200m T13 

Noelle Lambert-Beirne, long jump T63

Alicia Guerrero, shot put F64

Beatriz Hatz, long jump T64

Roderick Townsend, T47, high jump

Hannah Dederick, 400m T54

Jarryd Wallace, long jump T64