The USA stands sixth in the overall medal count at the Paralympics, where China has been dominant.
As in the Olympics, the USA is strong in swimming, with a mix of veterans from past Games and veterans of a different sort.
Jessica Long, whose legs don’t extend past her knees, has been winning Olympic gold since she was 12. Now 20, she’s likely to surpass her 2008 medal haul of four golds, a silver and a bronze. She already has three golds and a silver. And you may have seen her in commercials:
Newer on the Paralympic scene is Brad Snyder. Less than a year ago, he lost his sight in an explosion in Afghanistan. (The Post also has a photo gallery.) He has two medals and seems to be one of the friendliest interview subjects you could ever meet:
A few other Paralympic notes:
– Oscar Pistorius is apologizing for griping about his opponent’s prosthetic blades just after he took silver in the men’s 200 meters. Gareth Davies, a name some of you might recognize from MMA circles, wonders if Pistorius has destroyed his “brand.”
– Soccer fans should check out Jefinho. As you can guess from the name, he’s Brazilian. And he does 1-on-4 dribbling with mesmerizing foot action. He plays in the 5-a-side soccer variety, which means he can’t see what he’s doing.
– Closing ceremony chatter: Coldplay, Rihanna and now Jay-Z.
– A Paralympic-specific method of cheating called “boosting” sounds gruesome. And even die-hard steroid fans would have to concede the risks.
– Prince Harry is still checking out the Games. The U.S. media are not.
Duresport.com 