Woodhall claims Paralympic gold month after wife’s Olympic triumph

American Hunter Woodhall won the 400 meters T62 at the Paris Paralympic Games, a month after his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic gold in the long jump.

Woodhall won in 46.36 seconds at the Stade de France, ahead of world record holder Johannes Floors of Germany and Olivier Hendriks of the Netherlands.

The 25-year-old celebrated her victory by hugging Tara, who was watching in the audience, in a reversal of the roles she played when she won gold at the same venue in August.

“I’m so full of emotions right now. It’s so unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve waited so long and had so much stress and worry to get to this.

“This is a lesson in aiming for the stars and setting big goals.”

It is the first Paralympic title of Woodhall’s career, after he already won bronze in the same event in Tokyo.

He added: “My first gold at a major championship and I couldn’t have wished for better.

“Tara taught me a lot. Before the Olympics she wrote in her diary: ‘I will be an Olympic champion, I am strong, I am fast.’ I brought my diary with me and the last few days I wrote in it: ‘I will be a Paralympic champion,’ and that came true.”

After Hunter’s win, Tara said: “I was so nervous, I was so excited – knowing he was ready to run and how badly he wanted to win. And now he’s won.

“It was a dream for both of us to win gold and now we have it. We will carry these gold medals for the rest of our lives.”

Woodhall had previously finished sixth in the 100 metres T64 at the Games, but considered the 400 metres to be his strongest event.

At the Paris Olympics in August, Tara jumped 7.10 meters in her fourth jump, winning her first Olympic gold medal, ahead of Germany’s Malaika Mihambo and her compatriot Jasmine Moore.

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