Wallace Takes Bronze at Paralympics
September 04, 2021 | Women's Tennis
TOKYO, Japan -- Jarryd Wallace, a Georgia alumnus, won't be leaving Tokyo empty-handed. Early Saturday morning, Wallace won his first Paralympic medal in the 200-meter dash at the 2020 Paralympic Games.
Having qualified for the 200m final Friday evening, Wallace ran a 22.09 to find himself on the podium and as the top American finisher. Wallace also competed in the 100-meter dash this week. He was the eighth and final qualifier for the 100m finals and finished sixth as the top American again.
Previously this year, he ran a world-best time of 10.99 in the 100m at the U.S. Trials. Wallace, who is a four-time world record holder and three-time world champion in various races, competed in his third Paralympic Games. He finished fifth in the 100m in Rio in 2016 and sixth in the 400m in London in 2012.
Wallace, a graduate of Oconee High School and the University of Georgia, lives and trains in Athens with his wife Lea, and son, Levi. He is the son of Georgia women's tennis head coach Jeff Wallace and the former Sabina Horne who was an All-SEC distance runner for the Bulldogs.
Off the track, Wallace has helped empower disabled athletes with his "Leg in Faith Foundation" that he started in 2012. Most recently, he is a part of Toyota USA's initiative to support Team USA's Paralympic athletes in Tokyo and the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.
The University of Georgia was also being represented by 2016 alumna Amanda Dennis in goalball. Dennis, a Peachtree City native, helped lead Team USA to a silver medal showing in Tokyo. She previously competed in the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, and claimed a team bronze in Rio.Â
During this year's Olympics, Georgia finished with 13 medals (three gold, three silver, and seven bronze). The largest Georgia contingent competing in Olympic and Paralympic history came in Rio 2016 when a total of 36 members were in the field. This year in Tokyo, Georgia has the second largest group at 31 people competing for 12 different nations in six different sports.
