Mallory Weggemann of Eagan was selected for her third U.S. Paralympic team after competing at the team trials last week at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota.
Weggemann, 32, won four of her six events at the trials, the results of which were combined performances at a recent Para Swimming World Series meet to select 10 men and 24 women to the swimming team for the Paralympics in Tokyo.
Weggemann is the reigning world champion in the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle and was the silver medalist in 200 individual medley at worlds in 2019, the last time the event was held. She won gold in the 50 free at the 2012 London Paralympics. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Weggemann competed in the 100 free, 100 fly, 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.
She won the 50 free, 50 fly, the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM in her classification at the U.S. trials last week. She finished second in her other two events, the 100 free and the 100 breaststroke.
Weggemann is one of three Minnesotan women headed to Tokyo for the Aug. 24-Sept 5 Paralympics. Natalie Sims, 23, of Edina is going to her second Paralympics after finishing eighth in the 400-meter freestyle in Rio in 2016. At the U.S. team trials at the U, Sims won the 400 free with a personal-best time of 4:57.85. In that race, Sims topped Summer Schmit of Grant by one-hundredth of a second. Schmit, 17, was named to her first Paralympic team after competing in four events at the trials. She finished first in her classification in the 200 IM; she had three second-place finishes.
The U.S. Paralympic team in track and field will be announced Thursday after the completion of the team trials at Breck School in Golden Valley last week. Josh Cinnamo of Lakeville, the reigning world champion in the shot put, and Aaron Pike of Park Rapids, who is vying for spots in the 800 meters, 1,500, 5,000 and marathon, are top contenders for that team.
