Former Wichita State sprinter Deja Young-Craddock to defend Paralympic golds for USA
Former Wichita State sprinter Deja Young-Craddock will have a chance to defend her two gold medals later this summer at the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan after being selected for Team USA this week.
In 2016, Young-Craddock won the gold medal in the T47 100- and 200-meter dash races at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The 25-year-old from Mesquite, Texas who was born with a brachial plexus injury that limits mobility in her right shoulder will compete in the track and field portion of the Paralympics, which stretch from Aug. 27 to Sept. 5.
Young-Craddock ran for Wichita State from 2014-18 and earned second team All-American status as a freshman on the 400-meter relay team that placed 16th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She ended her WSU career with top-10 times in four different events.
In three appearances at the World Para Athletics Championships, Young-Craddock has a total of seven medals — five golds and two silvers. In her last competition, the 2019 world championships in Dubai, Young-Craddock won two golds and broke a meet record and a world record in her two open races.
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