Bronze medal – Tokyo 2020 T54 5000m

On 4 September 2021, Tatyana McFadden won bronze in the women’s T54 5000m at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.[13][3] Competing in the demanding long-distance event, she again reached the podium, adding to her tally of Paralympic distance medals.

This bronze brought her overall Paralympic medal count into the twenties, confirming her status as one of the most decorated athletes in Paralympic track and field history.[3][18] It demonstrated her continued ability to manage pacing and tactical positioning in races where packs, surges, and drafting play crucial roles.

Historically, the Tokyo 5000m bronze underscores the sustained competitiveness of women’s wheelchair distance racing and McFadden’s role in shaping that field over two decades.[12][18] Her presence in medal contests across multiple Games highlights the long-term nature of some elite Paralympic careers and supports calls for archival and statistical work that fully documents women’s Para sport achievements. As governing bodies and sponsors increasingly promote Paralympic narratives, medals like this one ensure that disabled women remain central to those stories.