SAINT-DENIS, France – Hunter Woodhall surged down the final stretch with intensity and determination, surpassing defending champion Johannes Floors to claim gold in the men’s 400-meter T63 event.
Woodhall finished the race in 46.36 seconds, beating the German competitor by a significant margin of 0.54 seconds. This victory marks the first Paralympic title for the 25-year-old double amputee, who previously earned bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games in his preferred event.
“This is a lesson in aiming high and setting ambitious goals – dream big, show up, do your best and you never know what could happen,” Woodhall said to reporters following his emotionally charged performance. “I was hungry and I wanted it so bad.”
Woodhall credited his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, an Olympic long jump champion, for inspiring his success. “I believed that I had the potential to do it – Tara has taught me a lot, including the value of self-affirmation and journaling. I’ve been writing in my journal that I would be a Paralympic champion, and now it’s true,” he stated.
This long-sought gold must have felt exceptional for Woodhall, especially after facing challenges at world championships, where he has settled for silver twice and was disqualified in 2024 due to a technical issue with his prosthetics.
On a pleasant Friday evening at Stade de France, with temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, Woodhall delivered an impressive performance under pressure. His winning time was 0.27 seconds shy of his personal best of 46.09 seconds, but it ultimately did not matter.
“There is always pressure to perform; that’s part of athletics – it’s heart-wrenching, it’s tough, and you never know what’s going to happen. But for me, I wanted to give everyone supporting me a show. I know how many people tuned in for the Paralympics, and this is growth for the event; everyone is paying attention, and I wanted to help showcase that,” Woodhall explained.
He expressed his gratitude for the crowd, stating, “The reception was incredible, the crowd was incredible, and I’m just very grateful.”
After celebrating his triumph with jubilant screams, Woodhall raced to the sidelines to share a long hug, complete with spins, with his wife Tara, an emotional embrace that seemed to last longer than it took him to complete the race.