Arkansan Jason Macom won a spot on U.S. Paralympics' national cycling team with his performances Feb. 2-3 at the U.S. Paralympics Track Cycling Open in Carson, Calif.
He is one of 14 athletes who will represent Team USA in the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, March 14-17, in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
At Carson's velodrome, the 38-year-old Little Rock native placed first in the men's C4-C5 scratch race, first in the men's C4 individual pursuit as well as its qualifier event, and silver in the 4 kilometer individual pursuit with a personal record time of 4:54.992, 2 seconds faster than his last performance in the velodrome.
According to published results, his speed in the 16-lap, 4K event was 30.3 mph (48.814 kilometers per hour) and in the time trial his speed was 32.2 mph (51.870 km/h).
Announcing his achievement to friends on Facebook, Macom posted, "This is a huge step forward in the program. I'm so thankful for my amazing team of family, friends, sponsors, coaches, doctors, and every random word of encouragement as this would never be possible without you. #keepmovingforward."
Macom was a professional BMX racer who switched to road and track cycling in 2004. Intractable pain from a bike polo wreck in 2010 that crushed his ankle led in 2015 to his decision to have his right leg amputated below the knee. He competes for the Arkansas Bicycle Coalition in velodrome track events wearing a racing prosthesis.
Team USA also includes seven Paralympians, including the reigning track world champions. They are four-time Paralympic medalist Joe Berenyi (Aurora, Ill.); two-time Paralympic champion Shawn Morelli (Saegertown, Penn.); two-time Paralympic medalist Jamie Whitmore (Somerset, Calif.), who secured a trio of bronze medals in the women's C3 individual pursuit, time trial and scratch race; and two-time Paralympic medalist Samantha Bosco (Upland, Calif.), who raced to bronze in the women's C4 individual pursuit; and Shawn Cheshire (Camillus, N.Y.), Chris Murphy (Alta Loma, Calif.) and Jennifer Schuble (Homewood, Ala.).