Nick Mayhugh on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men’s 200m - T37 Final at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 on September 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
TOKYO — Nick Mayhugh will need an extra bag to take home all the medals he's won at his first Paralympics.
Racing in the last of his four events at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, the 25-year-old went four for four —medaling in every event he entered — three of which were gold.
On top of the impressive medal tally, the Charlotte, NC native would set world record after world record after world record. In Saturday morning's men's 200m T37, Mayhugh broke the world record for the second time with his time of 21.91. It would be his third WR of the Games.
NO SLOWING NICK!@nickmayhugh x #TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/HG5Dpx1UZl
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) September 4, 2021
At the start of the 10-day tournament, Mayhugh was confident in what he could do in Tokyo.
"I know what I'm capable of," he said. "I know I can come here and medal in every single one of the events I'm running in."
And he did.
THAT MAYHUGH MAGIC.
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) September 4, 2021
In four events, @nickmayhugh is taking home 3 golds, 1 silver and 3 world records. All of this? In his @USParaTF Paralympic debut. #TokyoParalympics pic.twitter.com/L5GLhE40lG
This morning's gold medal on the final day of track would be in addition to the one he received the night earlier after racing in the first-ever 4x100m universal relay. The U.S. team of Tatyana McFadden, Brittni Mason, Noah Malone, and Mayhugh would earn the event's first gold.
Only 18 months ago, the first-time Paralympian switched from soccer to track and field, getting voted U.S. Soccer Player of the Year with a Disability in 2019.
"Football is my first love. It's second nature to me, so to try to learn this entire sport in a year and a half is completely insane," he said. "But I'm here now."
When he returns home, Mayhugh said he's looking forward to enjoying a vacation where he'll "eat as many Oreos as possible."
But after that, "The first thing I'll ask is, 'What's next?' Let's go make some more history!"
Three Bronze Medals For Three Team USA Athletes
Alexa Halko chased Great Britain's Hannah Cockroft long before today's morning final at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.
It was Cockroft's name she saw on the jersey ahead of her when she crossed the finish line in the women's 800m T34 in Rio 2016 to claim the silver. And it was her name she saw again in today's race.
Cockroft set a new Paralympic record with a time of 1:48.99, grabbing the gold and beating the time she put down in Rio. She was just shy of breaking her world record time of 1:48.87.