United States at the Paralympics

Last updated

United States at the
Paralympics
Flag of the United States.svg
IPC code USA
NPC United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Website www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics
Medals
Ranked 1st
Gold
962
Silver
910
Bronze
854
Total
2,726
Summer appearances
Winter appearances

The United States of America (USA), represented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and is currently first on the all-time medal table. The nation used to be a dominant Paralympic power in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but has steadily declined since the 1990s to a point where it finished sixth in the 2012 Summer Paralympics medal count. The team then improved to a fourth-place finish in 2016, and third in 2020, and unexpectedly finished first at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Contents

The United States was the co-host of the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York. It also hosted the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City.

Medal tables

Red border color indicates host nation status.

Best results in non-medalling sports:

Summer
SportRankAthleteEvent & Year
Football 5-a-side pictogram (Paralympics).svg Football 5-a-side Did not participate
Winter
SportRankAthleteEvent & Year
Wheelchair curling pictogram (Paralympics).svg Wheelchair curling 4th Augusto Perez
Patrick McDonald
James Pierce
Jacqui Kapinowski
James Joseph
Steve Brown
Mixed tournament in 2010

Flagbearers

Records

Summer Paralympics

Multi-medalists

Athletes who have won at least three gold medals or five medals at the Summer Paralympics. Bold athletes are athletes who are still active.

No.AthleteSportYearsGamesGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Trischa Zorn Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1980–20047F419555
2 Jessica Long Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2004–20205F168529
3 Erin Popovich Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2000–20083F145019
4 Bart Dodson Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1984–20005M133420
5 John Morgan Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1984, 19922M132015
5 Elizabeth Scott Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1992–20003F102517
6 Edward Owen Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics
Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming
1964–19887M92213
7 Tatyana McFadden Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2004–20205F87419
8 Brad Snyder Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2012–20203M6208
9 Jean Driscoll Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1988–20004F53412
10 Marla Runyan Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–19962F5106
11 David Larson Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1988–20004M5038
12 Dennis Oehler Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1988–19963M43310
13 Brian Frasure Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2000–20083M4329
14 Tony Volpentest Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–20003M4105
15 Paul Nitz Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–20126M4015
16 Danny Andrews Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2000–20083M4004
16 Raymond Martin Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 20121M4004
18 David Wagner Wheelchair tennis - Paralympic pictogram.svg  Wheelchair tennis 2004–20164M3328
19 Freeman Register Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–20003M3126
20 Mallory Weggemann Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2012–20203F3116
21 Nick Mayhugh Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 20201M3104
22 Kelley Becherer Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2008–20122F3047
23 Justin Zook Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2004–20123M3014
24 Royal Mitchell Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2000–20083M3003
25 Jeremy Campbell Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2008–20122M3003
26 Ross Davis Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–20003M2439
27 Cheri Madsen Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1996–20166F2428
28 Roy Perkins Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2008–20163M2338
29 Scot Hollonbeck Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992–20044M2305
30 Gregory Burns Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1996–20003M2215
31 Marlon Shirley Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2000–20083M2215
32 Karissa Whitsell Cycling (road) pictogram.svg  Cycling 2004–20082F2125
33 Cortney Jordan Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2008–20163F18312
34 Amanda McGrory Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2008–20163F1247
35 Cheri Blauwet Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2000–20083F1146
36 Aimee Bruder Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1996–20084F0145

Multi-gold medalists at single Games

This is a list of athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single Games. Ordered categorically by gold medals earned, sports, then year.

No.AthleteSportYearGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Athletics
1 David Larson Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992M4004
Marla Runyan Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992F4004
3 Danny Andrews Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 2004M3003
4 Dennis Oehler Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1988M3014
5 Jean Driscoll Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1996F2114
6 Curt Brinkman Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1980M2103
Joe Gaetani Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1992M2103
8 Maureen Gaynor Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1988F2002
Cycling
1 Karissa Whitsell
Guide: Katie Compton
Cycling (road) pictogram.svg  Cycling 2004F2114
2 Barbara Buchan Cycling (road) pictogram.svg  Cycling 2008F2002
Swimming
1 Trischa Zorn Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1988F120012
2 John Morgan Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1992M82010
3 Erin Popovich Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2004F7007
Elizabeth Scott Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1992F7007
5 Jessica Long Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2012F5217
6 McKenzie Coan Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2016F3104
Rebecca Meyers Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2016F3104
Brad Snyder Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2016M3104
9 Gregory Burns Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 1996M2103
10 Kelley Becherer Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 2012F2024
Wheelchair tennis
1 Randy Snow Wheelchair tennis - Paralympic pictogram.svg  Wheelchair tennis 1992M2002
Multiple sports
1 Ed Owen Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1968M4017
Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 200
2 Sharon Hedrick Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 1980F3105
Wheelchair basketball - Paralympic pictogram.svg  Wheelchair basketball 001

Multi-medalists at single event

This is a list of athletes who have won at least three medals in a single event at the Summer Paralympics. Ordered categorically by medals earned, sports, then gold medals earned.

No.AthleteSportEventYearsGamesGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Trischa Zorn Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 100m backstroke1980–20047F5117
2 Jessica Long Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 400m freestyle2004–20164F3104
3 Ross Davis Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 100 metres1992–20003M2103
Bart Dodson Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 200 metres1992–20003M2103
Rudy Garcia-Tolson Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 200m individual medley2004–20123M2103
Roy Perkins Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 50m butterfly2008–20163M2103
7 David Larson Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 400 metres1988–19963M2013

Athletes with most appearances

Summer Paralympics

This is a list of athletes who have competed in four or more Summer Paralympics. Active athletes are in bold. Athletes under 15 years of age and over 40 years of age are in bold.

No.AthleteSportBirth YearGames YearsFirst/Last AgeGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Pamela Fontaine Table tennis pictogram.svg  Table tennis
Wheelchair basketball - Paralympic pictogram.svg  Wheelchair basketball
19641984–201620 - 52F0112
2 Trischa Zorn Swimming pictogram.svg  Swimming 19641980–200416 - 40F449555
3 Lex Gillette Athletics pictogram.svg  Athletics 19842004–201620 - 32M0404
Winter Paralympics

Prize money

When a US athlete wins an Olympic medal, as of 2016, the USOPC paid the winner $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze. [1] The USOPC increased the payouts by 25% to $37,000 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze beginning in 2017. [2] These numbers are significantly lower than in other countries, where Olympic gold medalists receive up to $1 million from their governments for a gold medal. [3] [4] Since 2018, payouts to Paralympic athletes have been the same as to the Olympians. The International Paralympic Committee noted that "'Operation Gold Awards' for [American] Paralympic athletes [would] be increased by as much as 400 percent." [5]

See also

References

  1. Cao, Athena Cao (15 August 2016) Uncle Sam goes for gold, too: Up to $9,900 per Olympic gold medal [ permanent dead link ] First Coast News via USA Today
  2. "USOC Increases 'Operation Gold' Payouts By 25% Beginning in 2017". Swimswam.com. December 14, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  3. Many Countries Pay Big Bonuses For Olympic Medals. This One Is Shelling Out $2.7 Million.
  4. Some countries pay more than six figures to athletes who bring home a medal -- but not the U.S.
  5. Paralympians to earn equal payouts as Olympians in the USA