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Tekoa’s Susannah Scaroni wins gold at Tokyo Paralympic Games

United States’s Susannah Scaroni wins the women’s 5000-meters T54 final during the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. (Associated Press)
United States’s Susannah Scaroni wins the women’s 5000-meters T54 final during the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. (Associated Press)
From staff reports

From staff reports

Susannah Scaroni is bringing gold back to her hometown of Tekoa.

Scaroni, 30, set a Paralympics record Saturday in the women’s 5,000-meter T54, finishing first in 10 minutes, 52.57 seconds.

T54 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics in the track and jump events.

Despite placing first in the 5,000 meters at the Paralympic Trials two months ago in Minnesota, Scaroni told The Spokesman-Review that with the lack of international competition she didn’t believe there were obvious medal favorites.

Scaroni ended that speculation Saturday in Tokyo, winning the race by almost eight seconds.

Manuela Schaer of Switzerland placed second to win the silver medal in 11:00.50.

The United States’ Tatyana McFadden won bronze with a time of 11 minutes, 15.13 seconds, edging out Nikita den Boer of the Netherlands by less than a second for a spot on the podium.

Scaroni will also compete in the marathon, 800 meters and 1,500 meters. The first round of the 800 meters begins Sunday, Tokyo time.