SAINT-DENIS, France — On the track, certainty is a rare commodity, but Team USA’s Jaydin Blackwell and Ryan Medrano entered the men’s T38 400-meter race at Stade de France with unwavering self-assurance, both emerging victorious with gold and silver medals on Tuesday.

This was the second occasion in just four days that the duo crossed the finish line in the first two positions, with Blackwell earning the top spot both times.

During the men’s T38 100-meter event on Saturday, Blackwell shattered his own world record, finishing at 10.64 seconds, while Medrano followed closely, clocking in at 10.97 seconds.

The race kicked off with both sprinters showcasing their skills once again, as Blackwell finished first with a world-record-tying time of 48.49 seconds, while Medrano secured second place at 49.74 seconds.

“This is the first time I’ve felt truly excited to run the 400,” Medrano shared. “I’ve been training hard – doing broken 200s and 300s, and hitting personal records in each session, so I was really pumped. I aimed to break 50 seconds.”

Medrano not only achieved his goal but also set a new personal best during the race.

Blackwell expressed his enjoyment of competing alongside his teammate.

“I’m just happy to race with him every time,” he commented. “It’s just a bit of friendly competition—nothing more.”

Ezra Frech secures his second gold in consecutive nights

Despite being the world-record holder, 19-year-old Ezra Frech faced tough competition in his second Paralympic Games.

As motivation, he kept a photo of the T63 high jump medal podium from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics – an event he didn’t participate in, displayed as his phone’s screensaver.

On Tuesday, Frech realized his dream by finishing first, clearing 1.94 meters and taking home the gold.

“I considered changing it, or maybe I’ll let it stay,” Frech said about his screensaver. “It still motivates me because that loss is a part of me. I could switch it to my fifth-place long jump finish for extra motivation heading into Los Angeles 2028.”

Frech, who was favored going into the event after setting a world record in Miramar during the trials, had to contend with strong performances from Indian jumpers Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu. Despite their strong starts, both athletes eventually finished second and third respectively after Frech surged ahead in the final attempts.

“I have immense respect for my competitors,” Frech stated. “They are fantastic jumpers, and I expected everyone to perform exceptionally well, especially in a venue like this.”

Americans claim more podium spots

The U.S. team also excelled at Stade de France, with several athletes bringing home medals.

Brittni Mason garnered her third Paralympic medal, winning silver in the T47 women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 12.10 seconds.

Additionally, Susannah Scaroni contributed to the medal count with a bronze finish in the T54 women’s 1,500 meters, clocking in at 3:16.68.