Paris (AFP) – Hunter Woodhall, the US double amputee sprinter who is one half of a Paralympic-Olympic power couple, produced an inspired run to win gold in the T62 400 metres at the Paris Games on Friday. Woodhall, who is married to Olympic women’s long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, timed 46.36sec to beat world record holder Johannes Floors of Germany, who clocked 46.90sec. Dutchman Olivier Hendriks was third.
After crossing the line at the Stade de France, 25-year-old Woodhall ran into the arms of his wife who was trackside, just as she had done to him when she won the Olympic long jump title in the same stadium on August 8. It was the first Paralympic title of Woodhall’s career. He won a bronze medal in this event at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
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“My first gold in a major championship and I couldn’t pick a better one,” Woodhall told reporters, with his beaming wife standing by his side. “Tara has taught me a lot,” he said. “Before the Olympics, she was writing in her journal ‘I will be the Olympic champ, I am strong, I am fast’. I brought my journal with me and the past few days I’ve been writing in there ‘I will be Paralympic champion’ and that’s come true!”
Earlier in the Paris Games, Woodhall finished sixth in the T64 100m, but he had always said the one-lap event was his favourite. The Woodhalls’ Instagram account charting their adventures at the Olympics and their life since has more than 580,000 followers.
© 2024 AFP
