Mikey Brannigan won 1500 meter gold at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships on Sunday afternoon in Doha, Qatar.
The 2015 graduate of Northport High School, N.Y. ran 3:56.5 to place first in the 1500 meters ahead of runner-up Peyman Nasiri Bazanjani of Iran (3:56.53) and Alexander Rabotnitskiy of Russia (3:58.23). The result is especially impressive given Brannigan's age, as the 18-year-old is much younger than the 35-year-old Nasiri Bazanjani and 22-year-old Rabonitskiy.
Brannigan competes in the T-20 category, which is designated for athletes with intellectual impairments. He is world record holder for the 1500 meters, per a 3:48 effort to win the national title in June. Brannigan also won the Parapan American Games 1500 meters this summer in Toronto, Canada.
He represents the New York Athletic Club.
Photo courtesy of US Paralympic Committee
.@USParalympics bags two medals en the men's 200m T44 with a world record by Richard Browne #USA #BeyondIncredible pic.twitter.com/aJrJuA3ATu
-- Qatar Olympic Team (@qatar_olympic) October 25, 2015UPDATE: Hunter Woodhall of Syracuse, Utah took bronze in the 200m T44, running a wind-legal lifetime best of 22.09 seconds. The T44 category is for athletes with one or both legs amputated below the knee; Woodhall is a T43 athlete, running on double prosthetics a la Oscar Pistorius.
The 16-year-old Woodhall was third behind Brazil's Alan Oliviera and 24-year-old American Richard Browne, who won in a T44 world record of 21.27 seconds.
