KOBE, Japan – Junior Joel Gomez of the Purdue track & field team finished seventh at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, on Tuesday morning.
Gomez raced in the 1,500-meter T13 event and posted a time of 3:57.86. Donning the Red White and Blue and representing Team USA, he was seventh and edged out four other runners who all finished less than three seconds behind him. Gomez bested the eighth-place finisher by less than one second and another who was just over one second further behind.
The 1,500m T13 race is part of the nine-day 2024 World Para Athletics Championships being held at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium from May 17-25.
Full results can be found at Paralympic.org.
From Encinitas, California, Gomez qualified for the world championships after he won the 1,500m T13 at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships in Walnut, California, on March 16.
Gomez made his third career appearance at the World Championships, after he was sixth in 2023 and 11th in 2019 in the same event.
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Gomez was 10th in the 1,500m T13 and 11th in the 400m T13 for Team USA. He is expected to compete at this summer's Paralympic Games in Paris. Additionally, Gomez won gold in the 1,500m at the 2023 Parapan American Games and won the 400m and 1,500m at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships.
In his first season for the Boilermakers, Gomez competed in six meets during the 2023-24 season. His best finish came at the venerable Texas Relays from March 28-29, where he was fourth in the 1,500m in a season-best 3:52.10. Gomez also helped the distance medley relay finish eighth. He made his Purdue debut at the Windy City Invite from February 9-10 and ran in the 800m and 4x400 relay.
Gomez is majoring in civil engineering at Purdue and is expected to graduate in May, 2025.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.
Gomez raced in the 1,500-meter T13 event and posted a time of 3:57.86. Donning the Red White and Blue and representing Team USA, he was seventh and edged out four other runners who all finished less than three seconds behind him. Gomez bested the eighth-place finisher by less than one second and another who was just over one second further behind.
The 1,500m T13 race is part of the nine-day 2024 World Para Athletics Championships being held at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium from May 17-25.
Full results can be found at Paralympic.org.
From Encinitas, California, Gomez qualified for the world championships after he won the 1,500m T13 at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships in Walnut, California, on March 16.
Gomez made his third career appearance at the World Championships, after he was sixth in 2023 and 11th in 2019 in the same event.
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Gomez was 10th in the 1,500m T13 and 11th in the 400m T13 for Team USA. He is expected to compete at this summer's Paralympic Games in Paris. Additionally, Gomez won gold in the 1,500m at the 2023 Parapan American Games and won the 400m and 1,500m at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships.
In his first season for the Boilermakers, Gomez competed in six meets during the 2023-24 season. His best finish came at the venerable Texas Relays from March 28-29, where he was fourth in the 1,500m in a season-best 3:52.10. Gomez also helped the distance medley relay finish eighth. He made his Purdue debut at the Windy City Invite from February 9-10 and ran in the 800m and 4x400 relay.
Gomez is majoring in civil engineering at Purdue and is expected to graduate in May, 2025.
For more on the Purdue track & field and cross country program, visit PurdueSports.com/TrackField and follow and connect with the Boilermakers on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.