PARIS, France — Stockton native, Roderick Townsend, won his third straight gold medal in the men's high jump T47 at the Paris Paralympic Games.
This is the 32-year-old's third straight gold medal in the event, taking the top spot in Tokyo 2020 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. He also has a gold medal from Rio and a silver medal from Tokyo in the long jump.
Townsend has an upper right shoulder impairment after sustaining nerve damage at birth when his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.
Athletes at the Paralympics are grouped into classifications to minimize the impacts of the different abilities of athletes competing at the games. A T45-47 is when an upper limb or limbs are affected by deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement, according to the International Paralympic Committee.
He had a season-best performance in the high jump final in Paris, with a 2.12-meter (nearly 6.96 feet) jump. He also holds the World Record and Paralympic record in Men's High Jump - T46/47, according to the Olympics results.
Sporting a colorful hairstyle, Townsend kissed his wife Tynita in between jumps, as she was holding their son, Rodney.
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