2016 US national athletics roster announced

The US Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, announced that 47 athletes (30 male, 17 female), including four guides, have been named to the 2016 US Paralympics Track and Field National Team.

The roster boasts a bevy of experienced athletes, including 18 male and eight female US Paralympians. The team also includes more than two dozen athletes who competed in the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where Team USA posted three world record performances and finished in third place overall with a total of 39 medals.

Highlighting the 2016 national team roster are 13 reigning world champions: Mikey Brannigan, 1500m T20; David Brown, 100m T11; Richard Browne, 100m and 200m T44; Jeremy Campbell, men’s discus F44; Joshua George, marathon T53; Lex Gillette, long jump T11; Sam Grewe, high jump T42; Jaquvis Hart, 400m T47; Ray Martin 1500m, marathon T52; Tatyana McFadden, marathon T54; Rachael Morrison discus F52; Roderick Townsend high jump T47; Deja Young 100m T47.

With the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games only a little more than seven months away, all roads to the Games for track and field athletes will pass through Charlotte, North Carolina; the city is host to the 2016 US Paralympics Team Trials, the selection event for athletes competing in cycling, swimming and track and field to be named to the 2016 US Paralympic Team that will compete in Rio.

McFadden, Chelsea McClammer, George and Aaron Pike have each already qualified for the marathon event in the wheelchair division at the Rio Paralympic Games based on their performances at the Chicago Marathon, which served as the 2016 US Paralympic Team Trials for the event.

The complete roster can be found on the US Paralympics’ website.