U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, announced UCLA today as the site of the 2017 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships from June 2-4.
Over 200 athletes are expected to compete at UCLA’s Drake Stadium and Marshall Field for a place on the U.S. team competing at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London and World Para Athletics Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland later this summer.
"Los Angeles will serve as the perfect setting for our nation’s top track and field athletes to begin their journeys to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo," Rick Adams, USOC chief of Paralympics, said. "With the city’s rich history of hosting premier sporting events and UCLA’s elite venues, the stage is set for what will be our most successful championships yet."
Team USA comes off one of its most successful track and field performances in program history at the Paralympics 2016, capturing 42 medals in Rio to place second in the overall medal count for its best finish since Atlanta 1996. Paralympic medalists expected to compete in LA include Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Maryland), Lex Gillette (Raleigh, North Carolina), Mikey Brannigan (East Northport, New York), Breanna Clark (Los Angeles, California) and Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah).
The championships will also feature UCLA’s own Scout Bassett, who graduated in 2011 and five years later, competed at her first Paralympics in Rio.
"UCLA is where my Paralympic journey and dreams were born, but more importantly, it's where I found my passion to serve and empower others through sport," Bassett said. "I couldn't be more thrilled or proud to be competing at my alma mater for a spot on this year's world championship team. I got recruited to Paralympic track and field during my sophomore year at UCLA, and it completely transformed my life, setting me on a path that I could've never dreamed of."
For more information on the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships please visit USParalympics.org.
Media interested in covering the event or acquiring more information should contact Brianna Tammaro, U.S. Paralympics, at 719-866-2068 or Brianna.Tammaro@usoc.org.
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