"Tara is the first person I look for in the stands"- Hunter Woodhall opens up on running to his wife after maiden gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 

Hunter Woodhall spoke about looking for his wife in the stands during his performances. The American athlete won the gold medal in the men's 400m T-62 at the Paris Paralympics after clocking 46.36s.

Woodhall's wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall won the gold medal in the women's long jump at the Paris Olympics and had a similar celebration with him in the stands of the Stade de France.

In the post-race interview, Woodhall spoke about running towards his wife after winning the gold medal and celebrating the special moment with her.

"She is the first person I look for in the stands and honestly I just wanted to make sure that I could do it as well," he said.

His wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall also spoke about his performance and expressed her thoughts on his maiden Paralympic gold medal:

"Today, I was all excited. There were no nerves. I knew Hunter got it today. The way he woke up, the way his energy was today. I knew we weren't going home with nothing better than gold. So, I'm just so proud of him and he has worked so freaking hard this year to win that gold and it happened and now it's around his head."

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Hunter Woodhall on winning his first Paralympic gold medal

Para Athletics - Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games: Day 9 - Source: Getty

Hunter Woodhall competed in his third consecutive Paralympic Games in Paris and had marched into the quadrennial Games with three medals under his belt. He had yet to win a gold medal.

He competed in the men's 100m T-64 but failed to win a medal and finished sixth. Not being backed down by setbacks, he marched on to the 400m T-62 with regained focus and confidence. After working hard and persevering for over 12 years, he ultimately won the gold medal in the event.

After achieving the ultimate target of winning the gold medal in Paris, Woodhall took to Instagram to express his thoughts and thanked his fans and well-wishers for their unwavering support.

"PARALYMPIC CHAMPION. I am so grateful, thank you for believing in me. I think I need a day to collect my thoughts. But I couldn’t be more proud. More thankful for my team and everyone supporting me. What an unforgettable night," Woodhall wrote.

Hunter Woodhall concluded his Paris Paralympic campaign with one gold and one bronze medal taking his overall Paralympic medal count to five over the last three editions of the Games.