Malkamaki defends world title, gives team USA first throws medal of Kobe 2024
KOBE, JAPAN – Now a two-time world champion, Noelle Malkamaki (Decatur, Ill.) powered to her second shot put F46 world title in as many years, leading Team USA’s trio of medals on the sixth day of the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Joining Malkamaki on the podium for Team USA were long jumpers Derek Loccident (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Trenten Merrill (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), who took silver and bronze, respectively, in the T64 event.
After winning her first worlds gold medal in her international debut last summer at the 2023 world championships in Paris, France, Malkamaki threw a best mark of 13.12 meters to retrain her title heading into what she hopes will be her first Paralympic Games.
The DePaul University thrower said she was hoping for a better mark, but was able to hone in on some aspects of her competition that she can better before Paris 2024.
“It feels amazing to have won my second world title today,” she said. “All week during training I was thinking back to last year and what that experience was like at my first world championships and how much has happened since then. I’m just feeling really grateful to be back at a world level meet, it’s really exciting to get to throw for my country.
Malkamaki recently wrapped up a four-year varsity stint at DePaul, graduating with her undergraduate degree in December, and said her goals for Paris include furthering the world record she set last year.
“It gives me a lot of confidence going into my first Paralympics, knowing that I can take some training risks and push what I’m capable of doing,” she said. “I’m going to be focused a lot more on my own performances as opposed to my placings. I’m really looking forward to getting some work done to extend my personal best and push that world record out there.”
Loccident and Merrill, meanwhile, went 2-3 in a tight men’s long jump T64 competition that saw Loccident set a new Americas Record at 7.69 meters. Merrill, the 2020 Paralympic bronze medalist in the event, was close behind with a best jump of 7.35 meters.
In his second career world championships, Loccident has a hat trick of medals, including an unprecedented silver in his first international high jump competition. The former Division I football player also took bronze in the 100-meter.
He said he didn’t feel pressure attempting to defend his long jump worlds silver that he won in 2023.
“I felt like high jump kicked it off well for me. I was able to go into it level-headed and excited. This was the medal I won last year in Paris, and I came in with high hopes. The number wasn’t what I wanted, but the main goal is later this year in Paris, so we’re on the right track.”
Merrill, meanwhile, pulled out a dramatic bronze medal finish by saving his best jump for last. He credited the 7.35-meter jump to Loccident, who encouraged his teammate before the attempt.
“This is a sport where it really is individual, and you’re competing against everyone in the world, but that was one of the first times I felt like I had a teammate out here. He said to ‘Come on, you need to step it up,’ and that’s what I needed to hear. For me, that’s when it clicked. Hats off to Derek because I felt like he really helped me out.”
It was Merrill’s first career individual medal at a world championships.
“I just feel blessed,” he said. “I’m so stoked to share this with Derek. I’m super thankful.”
Racing in her third event of the week, Catarina Guimaraes (Cranford, N.J.) placed third in the women’s 200-meter T38. Because there were only three athletes racing in the event, due to World Para Athletics rules, only two medals were awarded to first and second. Regardless, it was Guimaraes’ highest finish of the week, and she’ll round out her first career world championships with the 400-meter race on Saturday.
Paralympic bronze medalist Josh Cinnamo (San Diego, Calif.) threw a best mark of 15.26 in the men’s shot put F46 competition and finished in fifth place. Cinnamo, who has two world championships medals in the event – including the world title in 2019 – is seeking his second Paralympic team berth this summer.
Team USA’s Robert Hunt (Spokane, Wash.) eked out a sixth-place finish in the men’s 100-meter T53 race to conclude his individual competition schedule in Kobe. In a tight competition, Hunt’s 100-meter time of 16.14 put him in sixth place by less than one-hundredth of a second. Hunt, who won two medals at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, will compete as part of Team USA’s relay team later in the week.
Rounding out his second career world championships this morning was Ryan Medrano (Savannah, Ga.), who placed 10th in men’s long jump T38. Medrano had a short turnaround after winning silver in last night’s 400-meter competition. He heads into U.S. Paralympic Team Trials – Track & Field with his first career world championships medal as he looks to make his first Paralympic team.
All sessions will be streamed live on the Paralympics YouTube Channel and the World Para Athletics Facebook page. For updates and results from Team USA, follow U.S. Paralympics Track & Field on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Team USA Medals – May 20
GOLD
Noelle Malkamaki – women’s shot put F46
SILVER
Derek Loccident – men’s long jump T64
BRONZE
Trenten Merrill – men’s long jump T64
Other Team USA Results
Catarina Guimaraes – 3rd, women’s 200-meter T38 (WPA minus one rule)
Robert Hunt – 6th, men’s 100-meter T53
Josh Cinnamo – 5th, men’s shot put F46
Ryan Medrano – 10th, men’s long jump T38
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