Benton City’s McClammer earns 2 more silvers at 2016 Rio Paralympics

Benton City wheelchair track athlete Chelsea McClammer is 4-for-4 in medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.

McClammer earned a pair of silvers Thursday in the women’s 5,000 meters-T53/54 and 4x400 relay-T53/54.

Tatyana McFadden won the 5,000 in 11:54.07, and Amanda McGrory completed the podium sweep for the United States, taking bronze in 11:54.34 — one-hundredth of a second behind McClammer.

In the relay, the U.S. team of Hannah and Tatyana McFadden, McClammer and Cheri Madsen finished in 3:41.96, behind China’s world-record time of 3:32.11. The Australia and Turkey teams were disqualified.

McClammer, 22, was the silver medalist Sunday in the 400-T53. The 2012 Richland High School graduate finished third behind McFadden and McGrory in the 1,500-T53/54 on Tuesday.

Track athletes in the T51-54 classes have a range of impairments and compete seated. McClammer is a T53 athlete.

“T53 athletes have full or almost full arm muscle power but little to no trunk or leg power,” the U.S. Paralympic website stated. “These athletes may compensate for the lack of trunk power by compressing the knees toward the torso during competition.”

McClammer finishes the Paralympics with the 800-T52/53 on Saturday and the marathon-T52/53/54 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, para-dressage rider and former Kennewick resident Roxanne Trunnell finished 10th in the individual championship test-Grade Ia.

On her horse Royal Dancer, Trunnell, 31, had a score of 69.565. Sophie Christiansen of Britain won the gold with a score of 78.217 aboard Athene Lindebjerg. Britain’s Anne Dunham (74.348) was the silver medalist, and Brazil’s Sergio Oliva (73.826) claimed the bronze.

This story was originally published September 15, 2016 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Benton City’s McClammer earns 2 more silvers at 2016 Rio Paralympics."