Paralympic champion Mikey Brannigan shatters 3K world record
Mikey Brannigan set a new IPC world record at the Armory Track Invitational in New York City on the weekend in the men's 3,000m.
Mikey Brannigan continues to rewrite the record books.
The 20-year-old from East Northport, N.Y., who won the men’s 1,500m at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, shattered the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) world record for the men’s 3,000m on Friday. According to Armory Track, Brannigan’s 8:07.64 clocking takes nearly 40 seconds off the previous IPC mark, held by Antonio Mariz of Portugal at 8:44.17.
Brannigan, who has run a remarkable 3:57.58 for the mile (1,609m), was diagnosed with autism when he was three. His parents recognized early signs of autism when Brannigan was 18-months-old. He represented the United States at the Paralympics in the T20 category, a classification for athletes with intellectual impairments.
RELATED: Teenager with autism runs 3:57 mile and sets T20 world record.
“This is great for me,” he said. “This was my first race of the indoor track season. I wanted to see what kind of shape and fitness I was in. This was very surprising.” Brannigan finished sixth overall in the race that Morgan Pearson won in 7:49.46.
The sophomore at Suffolk County Community College set the record at the Armory Track Invitational at the Armory in New York City. The track is one of the most famous places to race, indoors, in North America. Brannigan’s time is noted as an indoor mark and though the IPC does not officially list the men’s 3,000m as an event, it’s believed to be a world best.
Brannigan won gold at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games in the men’s 1,500m.
Two Canadians, Sage Watson and Lucia Stafford, set new records in their respective events at the Armory Track Invitational on the weekend.
RELATED: VIDEO: ESPN E:60 feature on Mikey Brannigan.
Brannigan is expected to line up for the men’s elite mile at next Saturday’s NYRR Millrose Games, the “world’s longest-running and most prestigious indoor track and field competition.”
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