Roderick Townsend-Roberts
American Paralympic athlete
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Roderick Townsend-Roberts (born July 1, 1992) is an American Paralympic athlete. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics he set a high jump world record (2.15 m) and won gold in high jump, silver in long jump.[2][3][4]
Townsend-Roberts at the 2015 Parapan American Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 1, 1992 Stockton, California, U.S.[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (201 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T46/47/F46/47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | Sprint, long jump, high jump, triple jump | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
He won the long jump and high jump events at the 2016 Rio Paralympics[5] and 2015 Parapan American Games. In 2015 he set two world records (2.07 and 2.12 m) and won the world title in the high jump in his disability class.[6] Townsend-Roberts cleared 2.14 m (7 ft 1⁄4 in) at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays to take his world record over 7 feet.[7]
Townsend-Roberts sustained permanent nerve damage to his right arm and shoulder at birth.[8] He played football for two years at Lincoln High School in Stockton, California, and served as the team captain in 2009. He has a degree in communications from Boise State University and used to work as an athletics coach at Northern Arizona University. He currently lives in Kentucky with his wife Tynita Butts.[1]
