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The Tokyo Paralympics concluded its two-week run on Sunday and Team USA finished with a flourish, repeating as gold medalists in sitting volleyball and giving Phoenix’s Lora Webster a fifth medal in five Paralympic Games dating back to a bronze in Athens 2004 (she also won silver in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and gold in Rio 2016).
Webster was one of several Arizona athletes profiled by the Arizona Republic before the start of the Tokyo Paralympics, and her story was one of the most compelling of these Games as she is five months pregnant expecting her fourth child. This is the second time Webster, who is a graduate of Cave Creek Cactus Shadows High School, has been pregnant during a Paralympics and the third during an international competition.
“I don’t really remember half the time that I’m pregnant when I’m playing, except for the occasional kick I get while I’m on the court,” said the 35-year-old Webster, who lost her lower left leg to bone cancer when she was 11. “I just have to be more conscious of how I’m diving,” she added. “When I do dive, I have to consider I’m not diving straight on my stomach.”
Webster scored 6 points in the four-set win over China, which also completed a Tokyo triple – the U.S. indoor volleyball team and beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman won gold in the Olympics – an achievement that’s never been done before in women’s volleyball.
—Compared to Webster, Phoenix’s Ryan Pinney is a relative rookie, but the first-time Paralympian is also bringing home a medal. Pinney was the only first-timer on the U.S. road cycling team that took the bronze in the H1-5 team relay on Wednesday. Along with teammates Alicia Dana and Freddie De Los Santos, the U.S. handcyclists finished behind Italy and France at Fuji International Speedway in less-than-ideal conditions.
“Racing in the rain was cold,” said Pinney, who served in the Air Force and Arizona National Guard as an inflight refueler. “I’m from Arizona, and I don’t get the opportunity to ride in the cold and the wet very often.”
Pinney has a 2-year-old daughter at home, and he’s looking forward to bringing a Paralympic mascot home to his little girl when he returns from Tokyo. “I’m also happy for the medal,” Pinney said with a laugh.
—The U.S. wheelchair rugby team played five grueling matches in five days before being upset in the gold-medal game by Great Britain, 54-49. Team GB not only won its first wheelchair medal, but also the first European country to medal in the sport. It also made history by having the first woman compete on a gold-medal winning side in this mixed gender sport, Kylie Grimes.
“I’m proud of the guys, and I’m proud of our team,” said Joe Delagrave, co-captain and two-time Paralympian. “Our two main ball handlers, Chuck Aoki and Josh Wheeler, were phenomenal, and they played a heck of a tournament. Five games in five days isn’t easy.”
Wheeler, of Tucson, led the Americans with 21 goals, or tries. Other Arizonans who participated in the tournament included Chad Cohn of Tucson, who scored twice in the gold-medal game, and Joe Jackson of Chandler, who saw his most action in a round-robin match against New Zealand.
—Archer Eric Bennett of Surprise finished ninth in mixed individual recurve and was eliminated on Friday in the first round of the mixed team recurve event.
Sources: Teamusa.org, Associated Press, nbcsports.com
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