Team USA Roster announced for 2015 Parapan American Games
29.07.2015US Team for Toronto 2015 features 98 Paralympian and one Olympian
The skyline of Toronto, the city which will stage the 2015 Parapan American Games.
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"The US team is made up of a balance of decorated Paralympians, as well as some new talent, all of them looking to find their way to the top of the podium in Toronto."
US Paralympics has announced the 241-member 2015 US Parapan American Team that will compete at the fifth edition of the Parapan American Games from 7-15 August in Toronto, Canada. The current US roster is comprised of 154 men and 87 women, which includes four track and field guides, two active duty service members and 18 veterans.
“We look forward to a great competition in Toronto,” said Rick Adams, chief of Paralympic Sport and NGB Organisational Development. “The US team is made up of a balance of decorated Paralympians, as well as some new talent, all of them looking to find their way to the top of the podium in Toronto. Besides being a proving ground for new athletes, the Parapan Am competition has a direct qualification impact on nine of the 14 sports for Team USA on the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.”
The 2015 roster features 99 US Paralympians and one Olympian: 1984 Brazilian track and field gold medalist Joaquim Cruz. Cruz, who is the head coach of the US Paralympics Track and Field Resident Programme at the US Olympic Training Centre, and will also serve as the guide runner for Ivonne Mosquera-Schmidt, a visually-impaired runner.
Many cyclists will be coming fresh off of the 2015 UCI Para-cycling World Championships from Nottwil, Switzerland, including US Paralympians Joe Berenyi and Allison Jones and Rio hopeful Jamie Whitmore.
Other notable athletes include 2012 Paralympic judo silver and bronze medallists, Myles Porter and Dartanyon Crockett.
The women’s sitting volleyball team, which has already qualified for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games based on its silver win at the 2014 World Championships, will compete. For the men’s sitting team, qualification for Rio is on the line based on its performance in Toronto; the men’s team must win out to get a bid for the 2016 Paralympic Games.
In track and field competition, men’s 100m T44 world record holder and London 2012 silver medallist Richard Browne, along with three-time Paralympian and long jump world record holder Lex Gillette will compete. US team member and three-time Paralympian and 2012 Paralympic marathon gold medallist Shirley Reilly will compete for the women.
The US wheelchair rugby team could qualify for Rio based on a win at the Parapan Ams. Six teams will compete, but only the top finisher in Toronto will get its ticket punched for Rio.
Team USA will compete in 14 of the 15 sports on the Parapan American Games program; Team USA will not field a five-a-side soccer team. The competition also marks the debut of soccer 7-a-side and wheelchair rugby at the Parapan American Games.
The eight-day competition will feature more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries. The 2015 Parapan American Games media guide can be found at the TeamUSA website.
