Roderick Townsend of the US wins high jump gold for the third time at the Paralympics – with a “showman” hairstyle

With hair dyed in a design reminiscent of the eyes in a Picasso painting, Team USA athletics captain Roderick Townsend was set to win the title for the third time. Paralympics,

“I’m a showman,” Townsend said, referring to the hairstyle he created at a Paris salon. “If they were there booing me? I’d probably still be jumping.”

Instead of booing, the Stade de France crowd either sat quietly and obeyed Townsend’s every command or cheered as she won the T47 high jump final on Sunday night with a leap of 2.12 meters (6 feet, 11.5 inches) to win her third consecutive title. Gold Medal The T-47 category is for competitors who have either lost part of one arm, or have mild to moderate movement problems in one arm.

Team USA takes note of this achievement On social mediaPosting an image of Townsend’s “three-peat,” the message read: “The High Jump T47 King.”

Townsend, 32, whose right shoulder is damaged by nerve damage at birth, considers himself a “bad guy,” and is on a mission to “make sure nobody else has a chance to win.” On Tuesday, he’ll get another chance at that role in the long jump.

To win the high jump, Townsend had to get past India’s top competitor Nishad Kumar, who won silver at the Tokyo Paralympics and finished second again in Paris. Kumar almost got to the 2.12 mark on his three attempts, but touched the bar each time. He lay on the high jump mat in a defeated mood for a long time before Townsend came over and hugged him.

At the time, Townsend, of Stockton, California, told Kumar that he was “exceptional” and that he inspires Townsend to do great things because they are both very competitive. Townsend said he has another goal in mind for Kumar after the race: “I just want him to win as many silver medals as possible.”

Pictures show Townsend kissing his wife Tinetta Townsend, who is holding their young son Rodney, and later a flag-draped Townsend celebrating with his son on the track.

Townsend overtook Kumar, and then tried to move ahead.

At the Tokyo Games, Townsend broke the high jump record with a leap of 2.15m and then topped himself with a 2.16m jump at the 2023 Paris World Championships. This time, he was trying to jump 2.17m.

The crowd cheered and applauded, but Townsend was unable to break his record on Sunday, revealing later that he suffered a hernia during the US trials in July, and is still recovering.