LONDON (WMAR) — Two Maryland Paralympian's had quite the finish at the London Marathon during the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships.
Daniel Romanchuk, of Mount Airy, led the way by winning his first world title and London Marathon. The 20-year-old Romanchuk sealed his fourth major marathon victory after previous wins in Chicago, New York, and Boston.
The race remained tight until Romanchuk pulled away with 600 meters left, crossing the finish line at 1:33:38.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Tomoki Suzuki of Japan finished in second and third place respectively.
Last year, Romanchuk finished third in the race. With the win this year, he locked in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII title, which began in Berlin last year, and amasses six major marathons around the world.
In the women's division, Team USA’s and Clarksville's own Tatyana McFadden finished with silver in 1:49:42, just behind first place winner Manuela Schär of Switzerland.
The marathon world champion in 2015, McFadden has battled health and equipment issues over the last few years. In London, she competed using U.S. coach Adam Bleakney’s racing wheelchair after her chair broke at the 2018 Berlin Marathon.
With two top-four finishes, Team USA secured two track and field qualification slots for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The U.S. will look ahead to the next major events, the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru from August 23 through September 1 and the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 7-15.
