Black U.S. Paralympians hope to see a more diverse team in the future

Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Gold medal-winning high jumper Roderick Townsend and U.S. flag bearer and sitting volleyball star Nicky Nieves took different routes to the Paris Paralympics. But they agree that, now they’re here, they’d like to see more people of color in USA jerseys. Roster material provided by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee shows that the percentage of white athletes was about 64% for the American Olympic team this year and 68.6% of the U.S. Paralympic team. Only 28 U.S. Paralympians identify as Black. Athletes say those numbers can improve with education about the opportunities available and with funding.