Paralympic B1

By Charlotte Carroll

Gold medal winners 

Brian Bell: Bell earned a gold medal with the men’s wheelchair basketball team. This was his first Paralympics with Team USA. He has also claimed gold medals in the Toronto 2015 Parapan games and the 2013 Americans Championships. Bell played his first basketball game at Illinois in 2006.

Gail Gaeng: After graduating from Illinois last year, Gail Gaeng continued her basketball career with team USA at the Paralympics. This is not Gaeng’s first experience with Team USA, as she won gold with the team before in the U25 world championships. Gaeng earned another gold medal this year at the Rio, helping the Americans win their third gold medal over the last four Paralympics.

Megan Blunk: Blunk, a current Illinois graduate student, joined her Illini teammates on Team USA’s basketball team for the second time. As a guard/forward, Blunk helped the women’s wheelchair basketball team to a gold medal. During her time at Illinois she was the second leading scorer on the team. In addition to playing for the basketball team, Blunk also competed on the Paracanoe team.

Steve Serio: After Graduating from Illinois in 2010, Steve Serio has gone on to have a successful wheelchair basketball career with Team USA. Rio was his third appearance at the paralympics after competing in London and Beijing. Serio competed with the men’s wheelchair basketball team this year and claimed a gold medal. This was Serio’s first ever Paralympic gold medal.  

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Christina Schwab: Schwab has been on the women’s wheelchair basketball team since 2000. She earned her third Paralympic gold medal with Team USA in Rio. The 2005 graduate of Illinois also competed in the 400 meter, 800 meter, 5,000 meter and marathon races.

Kari Miller: Miller has past experience in the Paralympic games playing sitting volleyball. She claimed a silver medal in sitting volleyball in both Beijing and London. This year, Miller was able to earn a gold medal with Team USA in the Rio games, giving her three Paralympic medals.

Dylan Alcott: Alcott participated in quad doubles tennis with partner Heath Davidson and defeated the Americans in the gold medal match. The Australian native has also earned a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing games with the wheelchair basketball team.

Ray Martin: Martin is a recent graduate from Illinois, who also earned four golds in the 2012 London games. In Rio, he first participated in the 100 meter T52, earning a silver medal. Martin then went on to compete in the men’s 400 meter T53, dominating the field and receiving a gold medal. In his final event, Martin earned another gold medal in the men’s 1,500 meter, capping off his play in Rio.

Tatyana McFadden: McFadden hauled in six medals over the course of the Rio games. She claimed gold medals in the 400 meter, 500 meter, 800 meter and 1500 meter races. McFadden also earned silver medals in the women’s marathon T54 and 100 meter T54 races. The 2013 Illinois graduate has competed with Team USA since 2004.

Medal Categories

Gold

The Illini competing in the Paralympics collected 10 gold medals. Representing Illinois in wheelchair basketball, Brian Bell, Megan Blunk, Gail Gaeng, Steve Serio and Christina Schwab all pitched in to help their respective men’s and women’s teams win the gold. With the win, the USA women have now won three of the last four gold medals in the event. In sitting volleyball, Kari Miller was able to help USA to another gold. In athletics, USA continued to dominate. Ray Martin won gold for the United States in the 400 meters and 1,500 meters, and Tatyana McFadden won in the 400 meters, 1,500 meters, 500 meters, and 800 meters. Finally, Dylan Alcott was also able to bring home the gold to Australia in wheelchair tennis.

Silver

In addition to their gold, the Illini were also able to grab seven silver medals in Rio. Tatyana McFadden — who won four gold medals in Rio alone — picked up two silvers in the 100 meters and the women’s marathon. Also in women’s track and field, Chelsea McClammer and Amanda McGrory brought home three more silvers of their own. McClammer took second place in the 400 and 5,000 meter races, and McGrory 1,500 meters. After winning two gold medals in the 400 and 1,500 meter races, Ray Martin picked up his third medal of Rio with a silver in the 100 meters T52. Finally, Edina Mueller grabbed a silver of her own in rowing.

Bronze

To supplement their 10 gold and seven silver medals, the Illini in Rio added three more bronze medals. After picking up two silvers in her other events, Chelsea McClammer added her third medal of Rio in the form of a bronze. McClammer took third in the women’s 1,500 meters. After also taking one silver in the 1,500 meters, Amanda McGrory added two more medals by taking third in the 5,000 meter race and the women’s marathon.