Eagle Mountain resident David Blair’s third of six discus throws at 64.11 meters (210 feet, 4 inches) was golden. Blair, 40, won gold in the discus F43/F44 class at the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
And the member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eagle Mountain Utah Stake broke the world record of 63.61 meters (208 feet, 8.3 inches), which he set earlier this year) and the Paralympic record of 60.05 meters (just more than 197 feet) set at the London Games in 2012.
Blair, who has a club foot, competes in the F44 class for those with lower limb impairments.
Blair won the high school state championship in discus and attended Weber State University on an athletics scholarship, where he set several school records. He recently picked up the sport after 16 years, according to teamusa.org and rio2016.com.
Each competitor has six throws, and the best one counts.
He is one of several LDS Church members who are competing in the Paralympics.
Wheelchair rugby: Team USA, including Josh Wheeler, 36, of Oregon, won 57-56 in overtime against Japan during their last preliminary pool game. Wheeler, who was a starter for Team USA, scored eight goals. He was in a motorcycle accident and was paralyzed.
Team USA, which won all three of its pool games, will play Canada again in the semifinals on Saturday. Teams from Australia and Japan will compete in the semifinals. The winners from both games will play for the gold medal.
Swimming: Stanford swimmer Brickelle Bro, 19, of Colorado, competed in her fourth race of the Paralympics — the 50-meter S8 class. Bro, who was born without feet, was seventh in her preliminary heat.
Competing this weekend
Wheelchair rugby: Team USA, including Wheeler, will play Canada in the semifinals and the winner will advance to the game to determine who receives the gold medal.
Track and field: Chilean runner Margarite Faundez is scheduled to run in the women's marathon T11/T12 this weekend.
___
See "Mormons competing in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio" for more on LDS athletes competing in Rio.
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com, Twitter: CTRappleye