Golden moments: Some of Team USA’s standout performances at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games marked an unforgettable chapter for Team USA, as athletes delivered awe-inspiring performances that lit up the City of Light and captured the hearts of millions in the stands and back home.
From the roaring crowds at Stade de France to the electrifying energy in the pool, every venue was abuzz with the intensity of Team USA’s quest for gold.
The athletes in red, white and blue delivered another impressive performance, bringing home 36 gold medals and 105 total across numerous disciplines.
This generation of Paralympians has also added new fuel to the Paralympic flame, one that will continue to burn bright as LA28 approaches on home soil.
Read on to relive some standout moments of American athletes who made history and redefined the boundaries of what’s possible on the world’s biggest stage.
On the track
Ezra Frech: From fifth place to double gold
Ezra Frech arrived in Paris with high hopes, but few could have anticipated the 19-year-old’s meteoric rise in Para athletics. After finishing fifth in Tokyo 2020, Frech stunned the world with back-to-back golds in the span of 24 hours.
The men’s T63 100m final on 2 September ended in a dramatic photo finish, with Frech edging his way to his first-ever Paralympic title. His disbelief was palpable, and so was the crowd’s, as his outstretched hand touched the sky in celebration.
But Frech wasn’t done. Less than a day later, in his signature event, the T63 high jump, he soared to gold once again, clearing 1.94m to set a new Paralympic record. The young star’s 100-day social media countdown to glory was complete, even ahead of schedule, and his journey from a relative underdog to a two-time gold medalist made for one of the most riveting storylines of the Games.
Tatyana McFadden: The Queen of the track reigns supreme
At 35, Tatyana McFadden’s name is synonymous with greatness, and Paris was no different. The seven-time Paralympian secured her 21st career medal in the 4x100m Universal Relay, officially cementing her status as the most decorated U.S. Paralympic track & field athlete of all time. For McFadden, this wasn’t just another medal—it was a milestone on a journey that is far from over.
"The job’s not finished for me yet. I have my eyes set on LA," she declared with the same hunger that has driven her through decades of competition. The world holds its breath.
Hunter Woodhall: America’s golden love story
If there’s one story that captured hearts at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, it’s Hunter Woodhall’s. Woodhall stormed to victory in the men’s T62 400m, clocking 46.36 seconds to take gold in front of a packed Stade de France, as well as a bronze medal in the mixed relay an hour later. His emotions poured out as he celebrated with his wife, Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, who had won gold in the same stadium just weeks earlier.
Their love story and shared triumph have made them household names, encapturing the power of perseverance and the beauty of partnership.
“It was a dream for us to both win gold and now we have. We’ll be wearing these golds for the rest of our lives,” the Paralympic champion said.
In the pool
Jessica Long: 18 medals and still making waves
Jessica Long is no stranger to the podium and, at 32, the American Para swimming icon continues to push boundaries. Defending her 100m S8 butterfly title, Long added two more golds to her collection to achieve a staggering total of 18 Paralympic medals. But beyond the medals, it was her voice that resonated most in Paris.
"The fact that people are showing up for the Paralympic movement is what we need; it’s everything to me," Long said, reflecting on how far the Games have come since she debuted as a 12-year-old in Athens 2004.
With her eyes also on LA28, Long’s presence is a celebration of personal success and a rallying cry for the continued growth of Paralympic sport in the U.S.
Ali Truwit: Defying the odds
Sixteen months ago, Ali Truwit found herself in a life-or-death situation, fighting off a shark in the Atlantic ocean. Fast forward to Paris 2024, and she was fighting again, this time for Paralympic silver. Truwit, swimming with renewed purpose and a spirit forged by adversity, claimed two silver medals, her second coming in the 100m backstroke.
“To think that I’m now swimming times that are faster than I ever went with two feet is wild to me,” Truwit said. Prior to the attack, Truwit's fastest freestyle time was 1:09.50. She beat that time at the Paralympic trials and then again in Paris when she won a silver medal for the 100m backstroke in 1:08.59.
NANTERRE, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 07: Jessica Long of Team United States reacts after winning gold during the Para Swimming Women's 100m Butterfly S8 Final on day ten of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris La Defense Arena on September 07, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Oksana Masters: Cycling to glory
Is Oksana Masters unstoppable? Some of her competitors pondered the question.
But Masters left no room for doubt, as she continued to demonstrate her greatness across multiple sports. The Para cycling powerhouse claimed two gold medals, bringing her total number of Paralympic medals to 19.
Masters secured gold in the individual time trial with a winning time of 23:45.20 on Wednesday (4 September) and turned around to win the women’s H5 road race with a time of 1:52:14 the very next day, defending both of her Tokyo 2020 titles.
"I just wanted to do it for that little Oksana that was never believed in. For other new athletes coming behind me. We belong here on the start line, no matter how we look," the Paralympic champion stated.
With 19 medals across four sports in both summer and winter Games, she stands as one of the most versatile and accomplished athletes of all time.
Team USA dominates the world of Para equestrian
The stage at Château de Versailles was set for something special, and Team USA’s Para equestrian riders delivered in breathtaking fashion.
Leading the charge was Roxanne Trunnell, already an established Paralympic star, whose two golds at Paris 2024 (ninth and tenth overall) made her the most decorated Para equestrian in U.S. history.
Alongside her was teammate Rebecca Hart, a Paralympic veteran competing in her fifth Games, who finally claimed her first individual medals, winning an impressive three golds.
For Fiona Howard, Paris 2024 was nothing short of a dream debut. The 25-year-old delivered a perfect score of 80.000% in dressage, not only setting a personal best but also recording the highest individual score across any Para dressage event at the Games.
Alongside Hart and Trunnell, she helped deliver the United States its first-ever team gold in Para equestrian, scoring a combined 235.567%.
“It was a huge thanks to him [Michel Assouline] that we were on that podium as much as we were,” Hart said of their French-American chef d'equipe. Under his leadership, Team USA claimed seven medals, including five golds, marking their most successful Paralympics ever.
A golden surge in Para triathlon
The U.S. Para triathlon team also made history at Paris 2024, delivering a powerhouse performance with eight medals, the most by any country at a single Paralympic Games. This incredible haul was a testament to the performances of Grace Norman, Hailey Danz, and Chris Hammer, who each struck gold on 2 September, setting the tone for a triumphant day.
Norman, a two-time Paralympic champion, captured her second career gold medal in the sprint-distance triathlon with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 40 seconds. As she crossed the finish line, her joy was palpable. "This feeling is incredible," Norman beamed. "Going from gold to silver and back to gold definitely made me work hard over these eight years. I am ecstatic."
Hailey Danz followed in Norman’s footsteps, claiming her own gold medal in a fiercely competitive field. Chris Hammer rounded out the historic day, contributing another gold to Team USA’s total and cementing the U.S. at the pinnacle of Para triathlon.
The unprecedented medal count marked the third straight Paralympic Games where the U.S. led the triathlon standings.
Matt Stutzman: The Armless Archer’s grand finale
Matt Stutzman, known worldwide as “The Armless Archer,” delivered a storybook finish to his Paralympic career, winning gold at Paris 2024 and setting a new Paralympic record of 149 points. Competing in his fourth and final Games, the 41-year-old left everything on the line, shooting his way to the top with an unforgettable performance.
"It hasn’t sunk in yet, to be honest," Stutzman reflected after his win, still processing the magnitude of his achievement. "I knew going into this it was going to be my last Games, so there's a lot of emotion, and I didn’t expect this medal."
Stutzman, who competes using his feet to shoot his arrows, leaves a lasting legacy as one of the most inspirational figures in Para archery and Paralympic sport.
His gold medal, earned in a shoot-out with a bullseye, was a fitting farewell to a remarkable career.
Self-titled 'armless archer' Matt Stutzman of Team USA fires an arrow with his foot in the men's individual compound competition
Wheelchair Basketball: Team USA’s historic three-peat
In a showdown for the ages, the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team etched their names into Paralympic history, securing a 73-69 victory over Great Britain at the Bercy Arena on 7 September to become the first team ever to win three consecutive gold medals at the Paralympic Games.
Steve Serio was at the helm with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in the final, once again proving why he is one of the most respected players in the game. “The totality of the journey, how much this team has grown up together. We’ve won together, we’ve lost together. To cap off my Team USA career with a win like this, with 12 athletes that I love and a great staff behind me, this is what dreams are made of,” he said after the final buzzer.
Brian Bell, another key contributor to the team’s dominance, had a standout performance in the semifinal against Canada. Bell was simply unstoppable, posting a stunning 31 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, setting the tone for Team USA’s march to the final.
The final game was a fierce back-and-forth battle, with both teams leaving everything on the court. But in the end, the United States triumphed, sealing their third straight Paralympic gold. The energy inside Bercy Arena was electric, with fans roaring as Team USA cemented its status as the greatest men’s wheelchair basketball team in history.
As the countdown begins for LA28, Team USA has laid the foundation for the future of Paralympic sport both at home and abroad. Their legacy will echo far beyond the medals, preparing a new generation of fans to rally behind the incredible movement that is the Paralympic Games.