United States at the Paralympics


The United States of America, represented by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and is currently first on the all-time medal table. The nation used to be a dominant Paralympic power in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but has steadily declined since the 1990s to a point where it finished sixth in the 2012 Summer Paralympics medal count. The team then improved to a fourth-place finish in 2016, and third in 2020, and unexpectedly finished first at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
The United States was the co-host of the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York. It also hosted the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City.

Medal tables

Medals by summer sport

The United States has never won a Paralympic medal in the following current summer sport or discipline: football 5-a-side.

Medals by winter sport

The United States has never won a Paralympic medal in the following current winter sport: wheelchair curling.
Best results in non-medalling sports:


Records

Summer Paralympics

Multi-medalists

Athletes who have won at least three gold medals or five medals at the Summer Paralympics. Bold athletes are athletes who are still active.
No.AthleteSportYearsGamesGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Trischa Zorn1980–20047F419555
2Jessica Long2004–20205F168529
3Erin Popovich2000–20083F145019
4Bart Dodson1984–20005M133420
5John Morgan1984, 19922M132015
5Elizabeth Scott1992–20003F102517
6Edward Owen
1964–19887M92213
7Tatyana McFadden2004–20205F87419
8Brad Snyder2012–20203M6208
9Jean Driscoll1988–20004F53412
10Marla Runyan1992–19962F5106
11David Larson1988–20004M5038
12Dennis Oehler1988–19963M43310
13Brian Frasure2000–20083M4329
14Tony Volpentest1992–20003M4105
15Paul Nitz1992–20126M4015
16Danny Andrews2000–20083M4004
16Raymond Martin20121M4004
18David Wagner2004–20164M3328
19Freeman Register1992–20003M3126
20Mallory Weggemann2012–20203F3116
21Nick Mayhugh20201M3104
22Kelley Becherer2008–20122F3047
23Justin Zook2004–20123M3014
24Royal Mitchell2000–20083M3003
25Jeremy Campbell2008–20122M3003
26Ross Davis1992–20003M2439
27Cheri Madsen1996–20166F2428
28Roy Perkins2008–20163M2338
29Scot Hollonbeck1992–20044M2305
30Gregory Burns1996–20003M2215
31Marlon Shirley2000–20083M2215
32Karissa Whitsell2004–20082F2125
33Cortney Jordan2008–20163F18312
34Amanda McGrory2008–20163F1247
35Cheri Blauwet2000–20083F1146
36Aimee Bruder1996–20084F0145

Multi-gold medalists at single Games

This is a list of athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single Games. Ordered categorically by gold medals earned, sports, then year.

Multi-medalists at single event

This is a list of athletes who have won at least three medals in a single event at the Summer Paralympics. Ordered categorically by medals earned, sports, then gold medals earned.
No.AthleteSportEventYearsGamesGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Trischa Zorn100m backstroke1980–20047F5117
2Jessica Long400m freestyle2004–20164F3104
3Ross Davis100 metres1992–20003M2103
3Bart Dodson200 metres1992–20003M2103
3Rudy Garcia-Tolson200m individual medley2004–20123M2103
3Roy Perkins50m butterfly2008–20163M2103
7David Larson400 metres1988–19963M2013

Athletes with most appearances

Summer Paralympics
This is a list of athletes who have competed in four or more Summer Paralympics. Active athletes are in bold. Athletes under 15 years of age and over 40 years of age are in bold.
No.AthleteSportBirth YearGames YearsFirst/Last AgeGenderGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Pamela Fontaine
19641984–201620 - 52F0112
2Trischa Zorn19641980–200416 - 40F449555
3Lex Gillette19842004–201620 - 32M0404
Winter Paralympics

Prize money

When a US athlete wins an Olympic medal, as of 2016, the USOPC paid the winner $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze. The USOPC increased the payouts by 25% to $37,000 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze beginning in 2017. These numbers are significantly lower than in other countries, where Olympic gold medalists receive up to $1 million from their governments for a gold medal. Since 2018, payouts to Paralympic athletes have been the same as to the Olympians. The International Paralympic Committee noted that "'Operation Gold Awards' for Paralympic athletes be increased by as much as 400 percent."