(L-R) David Blair and Jeremy Campbell finish first and second in the men's discuss F64 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – On the penultimate day of the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, Jeremy Campbell (Perryton, Texas) and Sam Grewe (Middlebury, Indiana) each defended their world titles to return atop the podium at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
1-2 finish – En route to his fourth-straight world title in the men’s discus F64, Campbell threw 61.04 on his third attempt, a mark that held through the remaining three rounds and secured the gold medal. Teammate David Blair (Eagle Mountain, Utah), who sustained a back injury while training in Dubai, earned the silver medal after leaving it all out on the field and throwing a season-best 59.87 on his sixth attempt. This marks the third year in a row the duo have finished 1-2 in the discus.
Jumping high – Sam Grewe (Middlebury, Indiana) defended his gold medal in the men’s high jump T63, leaping to a height of 1.86 to win the crown and equalize the championship record. Grewe, who competes at the University of Notre Dame, holds the world record at 1.90, a mark he set at the Parapan American Games in Lima in August 2019.
Teamwork makes the dream work – Team USA took home the gold medal in the 4x100 universal relay. Noah Malone (Fishers, Indiana), Deja Young (Mesquite, Texas), Jaleen Roberts (Kent, Washington) and Erik Hightower (Glendale, Arizona) combined forces in the relay for a time of 46.94. The 4x100 universal relay features four athletes per team, including two males and two females. The first leg of the relay is an athlete who is visually impaired, followed by an athlete with a limb impairment, an athlete with a neurological impairment and concludes with an athlete who is a wheelchair racer.
Golden girl – Kerry Morgan (St. Louis, Missouri) became the world champion in the women’s 100 T52, crossing the finish line to the gold medal in a time of 21.16, bringing her career world championships medal tally to 15.
Team USA Results from Nov. 14
6 medals: 4 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Gold: Jeremy Campbell (Perryton, Texas), men’s discus F64 (61.04); Sam Grewe (MIddlebury, Ind.), men’s high jump T63 (1.86); Kerry Morgan (St. Louis, Mo.), women’s 100 T52 (21.16); 4x100 universal relay: Noah Malone, Deja Young, Jaleen Roberts, Erik Hightower (46.94)
Silver: David Blair (Eagle Mountain, Utah), men’s discus F64 (59.87)
Bronze: Alexa Halko (Williamsburg, Va.), women’s 800 T34 (2:01.35)
Full results can be found on the World Para Athletics Championships website.
Quotes
Jeremy Campbell
“It’s exciting. This year has been really crazy - a lot of injuries and setbacks, so I really came into this one not knowing what to expect. I knew my numbers were good in the weightroom but honestly, it was a toss of the coin today and trying to put the process together. This one I was pretty anxious about, it was a nailbiter.
“It’s nice to have this big of a meet and feel the tension. This will mimic what we’ll feel in Tokyo. It reminds you and gets you excited, and it makes you want to train harder.”
Sam Grewe
“I struggled with my approaches from the start. WIth the season this long, my knees and all my other jumps were super shaky. To go out here and jump like I did was really exciting. I know everyone has had a long season. Championships in November is something you can’t change, but it makes us all stronger. It feels good to be on top. Definitely not my best performance, but I’m stoked nonetheless.
Looking Forward
Following nine days of competition, the world championships concludes Friday. Eight athletes will compete for their final chance to earn medals for Team USA, including Josh Cinnamo (San Diego, California) and Breanna Clark (Los Angeles, California) in the shot put F46 and the 400 T20.
How to Watch
The final session of the World Para Athletics Championships will be aired on Olympic Channel and streamed at OlympicChannel.com.
Get Connected
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