Blackwell Claims First Gold for Team USA on Day 2

NEW DELHI, INDIA – With no athletes competing in the morning session, Team USA was primed for a big evening session at Jamaharlal Nehru Stadium tonight. By the time the session closed, the team had added three medals to its medal tally including its first gold medal of the championship.

That came in the men’s T38 (trunk and lower leg coordination) 100m final which featured three Americans - Ryan Medrano, Jaydin Blackwell and Nick Mayhugh. From the start, the race was Blackwell’s to lose. He crossed the line in 10.70, two-tenths of a second ahead of Ryan Medrano. Blackwell’s winning time broke the championship record set just last night by Medrano. Mayhugh placed seventh in 11.21.

“It feels really good. I got the gold like I’ve been training to do,” said Blackwell, who won gold in this event at the 2024 Paralympics, 2024 World Championships and 2023 World Championships. “I just executed the race I needed to. I didn’t worry about anyone else but myself. Got out, did my thing, crossed the line, got my gold.”

“I’m really young in my track career,” said Medrano, who started competing three years ago. “But I’m happy. I’ve got two more races, two 400s and then the long jump. So, I am looking forward to the rest of this competition.”

The first contested final of the evening for Team USA was the women’s T13 (visual impairment) 100m featuring two-time Paralympic bronze medalist Kym Crosby. Crosby, who has not medaled in a global championship since 2021, was clearly back in medal-winning form as she stormed to third with a season’s best 12.41. Crosby has dealt with injuries and coaching changes over the last few years and exploded with emotion after crossing the finish line.

“It took so much hard work to get here,” said Crosby through tears of joy. “The last few years haven’t been the easiest and I’m just happy to be back on the podium.”

Sayers Grooms, the defending world bronze medalist in the women’s T72 (frame running) 400m, finished fifth in the event tonight with a season’s best of 1:25.33.

The evening kicked off with world record holder Brittni Mason easily advancing to the finals of the T47 (limited movement in arms or absence of a limb) 100m by finishing second in her heat in 12.47. In a later heat, 17-year-old phenom Violet Hall ran a personal best of 12.57 to finish fourth and qualified for the finals on time.

GOLD 

Jaydin Blackwell, T38 100m

SILVER (1)

Ezra Frech, T63 high jump

Ryan Medrano, T38 100m

BRONZE (2)

Jaleen Roberts, T37 long jump

Katie Hwang, F36 shot put

Kym Crosby, T13 100m