Trenten Merrill (born May 18, 1990) is an American Paralympic athlete who specializes in long jump. He represented the United States at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics. Merrill's right foot was amputated after a dirt bike accident.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1990 Laguna Niguel, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Paralympic athletics |
| Disability class | T64 |
| Event | long jump |
Medal record | |
Career
editMerrill attended Azusa Pacific University where he competed on the school's NCAA Division II track and field team.[1][2]
Merrill represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the men's long jump T44 event and finished in fourth place with an American Record of 6.84-metres.[3]
He represented the United States at the 2019 Parapan American Games where he won a gold medal in the long jump T63/T64 event.[4]
Merrill represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the men's long jump T64 event and won a bronze medal.[5]
He competed in the men's long jump T64 event at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships held in Paris, France.[6]
Personal life
editIn March 2005 he and a friend were riding in tandem on a dirt bike when they were involved in a collision with a car, and Merrill's right foot was pinned between the dirt bike and car. He had five surgeries to repair the foot, however, it had to be amputated as blood was no longer circulating in his foot after transmission fluid had spilled into the wound during the accident.[7][8] When not competing in athletics, he is also a model.[9]
References
edit- ^ Trenten Merrill profile at TFRRS
- ^ "Trenten Merrill Paralympian 2016, 2020, 2024". teamusa.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Learning to Fly: Trenten Merrill Reclaims American Long Jump Record, Sets Sights on 2020 Paralympic Gold". thecapistranodispatch.com. February 23, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Paralympic Track Champions Reign Supreme In Lima". TeamUSA.org. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. August 26, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Trenten Merrill". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Results Book" (PDF). 2023 World Para Athletics Championships. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Single-leg amputee Trenten Merrill sprints through adversity with a smile". lariatnews.com. April 20, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Trenten Merrill". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Paralympian Trenten Merrill Talks the 'Fire Inside' as He Competes in Tokyo (While Juggling a Modeling Career)". people.com. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.