Stickney Defends Paralympic Gold on Second Three-Medal Night at Paris 2024

Stickney Defends Paralympic Gold on Second Three-Medal Night at Paris 2024

Morgan Stickney (Cary, North Carolina) defended her women’s 400-meter freestyle S7 gold medal on day five of Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena. Her teammate McKenzie Coan (Clarksville, Georgia)  joined her on the medal stand with the silver in the women’s 400-meter freestyle S7, while Gia Pergolini (Atlanta, Georgia) earned her second medal of Paris 2024. Pergolini claimed Paralympic hardware for the second time in Paris, adding a women’s 50-meter freestyle S13 silver medal to her women’s 100-meter backstroke S13 gold.

Stickney returned to the top of the medal stand on Monday and broke the Paralympic record twice en route to her gold medal. The two-time Paralympian set her first record of the day in the preliminary round with a time of 4:56.69 and then smashed it in the women’s 400m freestyle S7 final on Monday night, taking gold with a time of 4:53.88.

“It’s just so surreal to be here and be a gold medalist once again. I’ve spent a third of the last year in the hospital so to be here is amazing – to be able to do what I just did is so surreal,” Stickney said. “I was pretty nervous going in to today, but I told myself that this is my favorite event. This is what I’ve trained for, so I just got up and had fun with it. At the end of the day, that’s really what I wanted to do. It wasn’t about my time. It was about going and having fun. I’m just so proud of myself.”

Having her support system in the stands was extremely meaningful for Stickney, particularly after Tokyo when friends and family were not able to attend.

“It means the world to be. My surgeon that initially amputated my legs is here. My other surgeon that had to re-amputate my leg is here, and my doctor that taught me how to walk is here. It’s just an incredible group that’s up in the stands, my family is here and they’ve been through it all with me. My mom has spent a third of the year in the hospital with me every single day, every single night. My dad quit his job and moved to North Carolina so I could live out my dreams, so it’s an honor to be here.”

Stickney will be back on Wednesday, Sept. 4 for the 100-meter freestyle S7.

Coan, a five-time Paralympian, won her seventh medal on Monday, taking silver in the women’s 400m freestyle S7. Coan shed tears of joy after the race and spoke about the meaning of her silver medal after what she called the worst year of her life.

“This might be the most special one I’ve ever won. It’s been a very long year, a very trying year and honestly there were times that I questioned if I’d ever be back at this level. I think today gave me a lot of confidence because a medal is amazing, but I think that I finally found my old stride again,” Coan said.

She faced difficult medical challenges over the last year which made her question if she’d even make it to her fifth Paralympic Games.

“Last year I was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. I literally woke up one morning and the left side of my face was completely paralyzed,” she shared. “Admittedly I struggled over the last year, just getting over it and healing. To be back here, it just means that much more.”

Competing with her teammates made today’s competition even more meaningful.

“It’s really special (to share the podium with Morgan). Before we left that call room, I looked around and there were three Team USA caps in there and that’s a really special feeling. To look to my left and my right and see my teammates and the people that I grind with was really powerful,” she said.

Coan will return to competition on Wednesday, Sept. 4 in the 100-meter freestyle S7.

Pergolini claimed the last medal of the day for Team USA in her final event of Paris 2024, taking the silver medal with a time of 27.51, earning her third overall Paralympic medal following one gold in Tokyo.

“Last Paralympic Games I didn’t even make finals (in this event) – I was an alternate so coming here and getting silver is really special to me and I’m very proud of myself,” Pergolini said. “The 50 is always hit or miss for me and it’s always so close so having the crowd here and giving me that extra energy and just absorbing it. I love the crowd, it really pumped me up for my race. It really helped me get a silver medal so I’m really happy.”

Evan Austin (Terre Haute, Indiana) opened the night in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7, placing fourth. He will close out his fourth Paralympic Games on Saturday, Aug. 7 in the men’s 50-meter butterfly S7.
 
Ahalya Lettenberger (Glen Ellyn, Illinois) swam for the second straight day in Paris, completing the trio of American swimmers to advance to the women’s 400-meter freestyle S7. She finished fifth overall with a time of 5:23.73 in her final event of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Two-time Paralympian Jamal Hill (Inglewood, California) competed in his lone event of Paris 2024 on Monday, the men’s 50-meter freestyle S9. He finished just three hundredths of a second off the medal stand in fifth place with a time of 25.62.

Olivia Chambers (Little Rock, Arkansas) and Grace Nuhfer (Greenwood, Indiana) joined Pergolini in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S13 final, finishing fifth and eighth, respectively, in the event final. Both Chambers and Nuhfer will be back in the Paris 2024 pool tomorrow in the 200-meter individual medley S13.

The mixed 4×100-meter medley relay – 34 points finished the day out for Team USA. The squad made up of Hannah Aspden (Raleigh, North Carolina), Morgan Ray (St. Augustine, Florida), Yaseen El-Demerdash (Overland Park, Kansas), and Christie Raleigh Crossley (Toms River, New Jersey) placed sixth with a time of 4:33.65.

Team USA Medals:
 
Morgan Stickney, gold, women’s 400-meter freestyle S7

McKenzie Coan, silver, women’s 400-meter freestyle S7

Gia Pergolini, silver, women’s 50-meter freestyle S13
 
Other Team USA Results:

Evan Austin, 4th, men’s 400-meter freestyle S7

Ahalya Lettenberger, 5th, women’s 400-meter freestyle S7

Jamal Hill, 5th, men’s 50-meter freestyle S9

Olivia Chambers, 5th, women’s 50-meter freestyle S13

Grace Nuhfer, 8th, women’s 50-meter freestyle S13

Hannah Aspden, Morgan Ray, Yaseen El-Demerdash, Christie Raleigh Crossley, 6th, 4×100-meter medley relay – 34 points