PARIS − Twenty-one-year-old sprinter Korban Best from Southlake, Texas, officially became a made man in the Paralympic world inside the Stade de France Friday night. In his Paralympic debut, he recorded a personal-best-time of 10.75 seconds in the T47 100-meter dash.
Best showcased his exceptional speed and personality on the track and will be going home with a silver medal.
Best’s journey to Paralympic glory has been long in the making. Born with ulnar dysplasia in his right arm, he discovered a passion for running and soon realized he had a gift. His dedication and hard work have paid off, as he has become an up-and-coming star for the U.S. Paralympics track and field team.
Best has been known to dance before his races and his goofy personality combined with his jittery quickness and small frame has earned him the nickname ‘Baby Bro’ by his teammates.
“I’m everyone’s little bro,” Best said. “I’m the annoying little brother. I’m always poking fun at people, making jokes, dancing when I’m not supposed to or giving coach a whole bunch of junk, but that’s just me being light hearted and fun and bringing the energy to practice everyday.”
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Best only got better throughout the day. He tied a personal best in the preliminary heat with a time of 10.78 seconds.
In the final, he got off to a ripping start, leading the pack to begin the race before Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos won in 10.68.
“I feel great,” Best said after the race. “Stepping on the world stage and causing a ripple effect like i did for my first year in Para was absolutely astronomical. I wanted gold. Silver’s the next best thing and we’re going to come back in LA and win at home.”
In his short time with Team USA, he has formed strong bonds with his teammates, and his positive attitude and leadership qualities have inspired others to strive for excellence.
While winning a medal is an incredible individual achievement for Best, he knows that it takes a great team to get him where he is today.
“The people at the Chula Vista, the athletes and the staff have welcomed me with open arms,” Best said of his training center. “They’ve shown me the ropes with everything and have guided me throughout this whole process. So, I definitely say I can’t do it alone because I had a really great support team behind me.”
Jaleeen Roberts falls just short of a medal
On the women’s side, Jaleen Roberts ran a season-best time of 27.99 in the T37 200, but fell just short of the podium, four tenths of a second behind bronze medalist Fenfen Jiang, who crossed at 27.55. China’s Xiaoyan Wen won in 25.86.
“Even though I didn’t medal, it was still pretty good for my confidence,” Roberts said. “I still didn’t expect to do as well as I did. So, I can’t complain, can’t be greedy, just feels good to be back in a Paralympic stadium that allowed me to shake my nerves.”
Taylor Swanson also competed in the race and had a devastating finish, tripping just short of the finish line. She crossed the line to applause from the crowd.