COLORADO, USA — Eleven athletes with Colorado ties are on their way to Tokyo to compete for Team USA in the Paralympic Games.
The Paralympic Games will be held from Tuesday, Aug. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 5 in Tokyo, and 240 athletes from Team USA will be competing in 19 sports.
Only two states – California and Illinois – are sending more athletes to the Paralympics than Colorado (though we are tied for third with Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, New York and Washington state).
In Para sports, athletes are grouped into classifications according to their activity limitation in a certain sport.
Below, you can learn more about each of the Coloradans who are competing at the games and see when they're competing so you can cheer them on.
Stetson Bardfield
- Sport: Rifle shooting
- Event: Mixed prone 10m air rifle
- Classification: SH2. These athletes have an impairment that affects their arms, meaning they are not able to support the full weight of the rifles themselves.
- Birthplace: Lewis, Wash.
- Hometown: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: This is his first Paralympic games. He was the 2019 Parapan American Games gold medalist. In the 2019 USA Shooting Rifle Pistol National Championships, he placed 3rd in mixed prone 50m air rifle and 4th in mixed prone 10m air rifle.
- When he competes: Wed., Sept. 1
Kyle Coon
- Sport: Triathlon
- Classification: PTVI. This is for athletes with vision impairments.
- Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
- Current residence: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: This is his first Paralympics. He's a two-time World Triathlon Para Series medalist, with one gold and one bronze. He's also an an avid rock climber, downhill skier, and he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro at age 15.
- When he competes: Sat., Aug. 28
Hailey Danz
- Sport: Triathlon
- Classification: PTS2. This is for standing athletes with a limb impairment.
- Hometown: Wauwatosa, Wis.
- Current residence: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: She was a silver medalist at the 2016 Paralympic in Rio. Among her many other accolades, she's a two-time USA Paratriathlon National Champion (2017, 2019).
- When she competes: Sat., Aug. 28
Rudy Garcia-Tolson
- Sport: Swimming
- Events: 100-meter breaststroke, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley
- Classification: S8, SB7, SM7. These are for athletes with a physical impairment.
- Birthplace: Bloomington, Calif.
- Hometown: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: He's a five-time Paralympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) and a five-time Paralympic medalist (2 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze). He's also won 6 World Championship medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze).
- When he competes: Friday, Aug. 27, 200m individual medley; Wednesday, Sept. 1, 100m breaststroke; Friday, Sept. 3, 100m butterfly.
Beatriz Hatz
- Sport: Track and field
- Events: 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump
- Classification: T64. This is for athletes with a leg amputation, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.
- Birthplace: Westminster
- Hometown: Lakewood
- Paralympic experience: This is her first Paralympics. She competed in the 2019 World Championship and placed fifth in the (200 meter) and eighth in the 100 meter. She was named the 2018 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Athlete of the Year while at D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School.
- When she competes: Long jump: Sat., Aug. 28, long jump; 200 meter, Tues., Aug. 31; 100 meter, heats on Thurs., Sept. 2 and finals on Friday, Sept. 3.
Sophia Herzog
- Sport: Swimming
- Events: 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle, 100-meter breaststroke, 50-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley
- Classification: S6, SM6, SB6. This is for athletes with a physical impairment.
- Birthplace: Denver
- Hometown: Fairplay
- Paralympic experience: She is a two-time Paralympian (2016, 2020) and one-time Paralympic medalist (silver in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2016 Rio games. She is also a five-time medal winner at World Championships (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze).
- When she competes: Wed., Aug. 25, 50m freestyle; Thurs., Aug. 26, 200m individual medley; Sat., Aug. 28, 100m breaststroke; Mon., Aug. 30, 50m butterfly; Thurs., Sept. 2, 400m freestyle.
Elizabeth Marks
- Sport: Swimming
- Events: 100-meter backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley
- Classification: S6, SM6, SB6. This is for athletes with a physical impairment.
- Birthplace: Arizona
- Hometown: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: She's a two-time Paralympian (2016, 2020) and a two-time Paralympic medalist (1 gold, 1 bronze). She also won gold in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2019 World Championships.
- When she competes: Thurs., Aug. 26, 200m individual medley; Sat., Aug. 28, 100m breaststroke; Fri., Sept. 3, 100m backstroke.
Eric Newby
- Sport: Wheelchair rugby
- Classification: 2.0. Each player is assigned a point value based on their functional ability, from 0.5 for a player with the least physical function through to 3.5 for the most physical function.
- Birthplace: Alton, Ill.
- Hometown: Bailey
- Paralympic experience: He is a one-time Paralympian at the 2016 Rio games, where he won silver. He also won bronze at the 2014 World Championship.
- When he competes: Pool phase: Wed., Aug, 25 vs. New Zealand; Thurs., Aug. 26, vs. Canada; Fri., Aug. 27 vs. Great Britain.
Semifinals: Sat.. Aug. 28
Medal games: Sun., Aug. 29
Adam Scaturro
- Sport: Wheelchair rugby
- Classification: Each player is assigned a point value based on their functional ability, from 0.5 for a player with the least physical function through to 3.5 for the most physical function.
- Hometown: Lakewood
- Paralympic experience: He is a two time Paralympian, winning silver at the 2016 Rio games and bronze at the 2012 London games.
- When he competes: Pool phase: Wed., Aug, 25 vs. New Zealand; Thurs., Aug. 26, vs. Canada; Friday, Aug. 27 vs. Great Britain.
Semifinals: Sat.. Aug. 28
Medal games: Sun., Aug. 29
Melissa Stockwell
- Sport: Triathlon
- Classification: PTS2. This is for standing athletes with a limb impairment.
- Birthplace: Grand Haven, Mich.
- Hometown: Colorado Springs
- Paralympic experience: She was a bronze medalist at the 2016 Paralympic in Rio. She's also a three-time ITU Paratriathlon World Champion (2012, 2011, 2010) and a four-time USA Paratriathlon National Champion (2018, 2013, 2012, 2011).
- When she competes: Sat., Aug. 28
Robert Tanaka
- Sport: Judo
- Weight class: 60kg
- Classification: B3. Judo is a sport for vision-impaired athletes. Competitors are given classifications based on the severity of their vision impairment ranging from B1 (total blindness) to B3 (low vision).
- Hometown: Denver
- Paralympic experience: Tokyo 2020 is his first Paralympics.
- When he competes: Fri., Aug. 27
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