Mikey Brannigan Completes Historic World Para T20 Triple

Mikey Brannigan Completes Historic World Para T20 Triple

Austic runner Mikey Brannigan completed a historic World Para triple today.

Jul 23, 2017 by Harry Prevor .
Mikey Brannigan Completes Historic World Para T20 Triple
Michael Brannigan capped off a historic World Para Athletics Championships triple with a silver medal in the men's 5000m this morning, adding to his 1500m and 800m golds earlier this week. Brannigan, who turned heads by running a 3:57.58 mile last August at age 19, competes in the T20 category, which is defined as "Intellectual impairment" and requires an IQ score at or below 75. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3, but that didn't stop him from becoming a running celebrity, being featured as the Sports Illustrated High School Athlete of the Month for February 2015 and setting the 1500m and 5000m T20 World Records. 

Brannigan's first race was the 1500m final on Monday, and he pulled through as the heavy favorite winning by more than two full seconds in 3:53.05. But his greatest challenges would lie ahead of him, as next Brannigan would win both his 800m heat on Friday and the final on Saturday in 1:54.24, again with a full second margin of victory. In the 5000m this morning, Brannigan came up just short of a triple gold, as it ended up taking a new Championship Record by Portugal's Cristiano Pereria of 14:29.80 to push Mikey to the silver. Pereria also came in second in the men's 1500m final.

After winning the 1500m Paralympic gold last year, Brannigan hopes to qualify for the U.S. Senior team for the 2020 Olympics.


​Watch Brannigan win the 1500m here:



​Watch Brannigan's 800m run here: