WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Incoming Purdue track & field senior Joel Gomez was named to the U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Team on Sunday and will compete at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
Gomez earned his second Paralympic berth when he won gold in the 1,500m T13 event at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials on July 20 in Miramar, Florida. Gomez was victorious in 3:55.29 and punched his ticket to Paris in the 1,500m T13, the same event he raced in at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Gomez joins a pair of Boilermaker track & field alums who have qualified to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, as Chukwuebuka Enekwechi earned his spot in the shot put for Nigeria on June 17 and Devynne Charlton qualified in the 100m hurdles for the Bahamas on June 27. Charlton and Enekwechi each are now two-time Olympic qualifiers, having both competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
At Saturday's trials in Florida, Gomez's 3:55.29 was victorious by nearly 24 seconds, and he bested the standard time by two seconds.
From Encinitas, California, Gomez placed 10th in the 1,500m T13 and 11th in the 400m T13 for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Earlier this year, he was seventh in the 1,500m T13 at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships on May 20, and he won the same event at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships on March 16.
In his first season for the Boilermakers as a junior in 2023-24, Gomez competed in six meets. 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 earned his second Paralympic berth when he won gold in the 1,500m T13 event at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials on July 20 in Miramar, Florida. Gomez was victorious in 3:55.29 and punched his ticket to Paris in the 1,500m T13, the same event he raced in at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Gomez joins a pair of Boilermaker track & field alums who have qualified to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, as Chukwuebuka Enekwechi earned his spot in the shot put for Nigeria on June 17 and Devynne Charlton qualified in the 100m hurdles for the Bahamas on June 27. Charlton and Enekwechi each are now two-time Olympic qualifiers, having both competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
At Saturday's trials in Florida, Gomez's 3:55.29 was victorious by nearly 24 seconds, and he bested the standard time by two seconds.
From Encinitas, California, Gomez placed 10th in the 1,500m T13 and 11th in the 400m T13 for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Earlier this year, he was seventh in the 1,500m T13 at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships on May 20, and he won the same event at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships on March 16.
In his first season for the Boilermakers as a junior in 2023-24, Gomez competed in six meets. 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.