Daniel Romanchuk
Daniel Romanchuk (born 3 August 1998) is an American Paralympian athlete who competes primarily in wheelchair racing events. He won the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2018; just under a month later, he became the first American to win the men's wheelchair race at the New York City Marathon, as well as the youngest winner in the history of the wheelchair event in New York.[1]
 Near the half-way mark of Romanchuk's 2019 Boston Marathon victory | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 August 1998 Mount Airy, Maryland, USA |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Sport | |
| Disability | Spina bifida |
| Coached by | Adam Bleakney |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Paralympic finals | 2016 |
Romanchuk followed up these wins with a win at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2019. He became the first American man to win Boston's wheelchair division since 1993.[2] With his victory at the London Marathon in April of 2019, Romanchuk also won the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships title.
Early life
Romanchuk was born in Mount Airy, Maryland with spina bifida, a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord. When he was 2, his parents enrolled him in an adaptive sports program linked to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in nearby Baltimore. He participated in his first track meet at age 6, but also took part in other sports, including archery, sled hockey, and softball. In track events, he set age-group records and took part in national competitions at an early age.[3]
2016 Paralympics
In the winter of 2014, Romanchuk's mother Kim encouraged him to focus more on track in an effort to make the 2016 Paralympic team. He made the team, and competed in every track event in Rio, from the 100m to the 5000m.[3]
Marathon racing
Romanchuk entered and finished the Baltimore Marathon, his first, at the age of 14.[4] In April of 2018, he placed 3rd in the London Marathon.[5]
In October of 2018, Romanchuk won the Chicago Marathon with a time of 1:31:34; he beat defending champion Marcel Hug by one second.[6] Less than a month later, he became the first American winner and youngest winner in the history of the New York Marathon's wheelchair event, again defeating Hug (who had won in 2016 and 2017), and again by just one second.[5][7]
In 2019, Romanchuk won the Boston Marathon in 1:21:36. He became the youngest ever winner of that race, as well as the first American to win Boston since 1993.[8] In April of 2019, he won the London Marathon with a time of 1:33:38.[9] In 2019 he also won the Chicago Marathon and he qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
References
- "Mount Airy's Daniel Romanchuk follows Chicago Marathon wheelchair victory with New York City title". Baltimore Sun. 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
- Pepin, Matt; Bowers, Rachel G. (2019-04-15). "Daniel Romanchuk, Manuela Schaer win Boston Marathon wheelchair divisions". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
- Kuzma, Cindy (2019-02-21). "All Roads Lead to Romanchuk". Runner's World. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- "Daniel Romanchuk". Disabled Sports USA. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- McCarvel, Nick (2018-11-04). "Daniel Romanchuk, Just 20, Becomes First U.S. Man to Capture New York City Marathon Wheelchair Crown". Team USA. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- Ryan, Shannon; Thompson, Phil; Greene, Morgan (2018-10-07). "Britain's Mo Farah and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei win 2018 Chicago Marathon". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- "Daniel Romanchuk, Just 20, Becomes First U.S. Man to Capture New York City Marathon Wheelchair Crown". WABC. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- Sgobba, Christa (2019-04-15). "Daniel Romanchuk Is Youngest Man Ever to Win Wheelchair Division at Boston". Runner's World. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- "Mount Airy's Daniel Romanchuk secures world title with men's wheelchair victory at London Marathon". The Baltimore Sun. 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-05-02.