In a landmark achievement for the US, Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon have clinched the first-ever Paralympic badminton medal for the United States. Competing in the SH6 mixed doubles final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the dynamic duo, both just 19 years old, displayed incredible skill and determination, earning a silver medal in their debut Paralympic appearance.
First-Ever Badminton Medal for U.S. at the Paris 2024 Paralympics
The young athletes made history not only by becoming the first Americans to medal in Paralympic badminton but also by being the first competitors from any country west of Great Britain to achieve such a feat in either the Olympic or Paralympic Games. Their journey to the podium included a remarkable series of victories, including two wins against the world’s second-ranked team, India’s Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sivan, during the group stages and semifinals.
In the gold medal match, Krajewski and Simon faced a formidable Chinese team, Naili Lin and Fengmei Li. Despite a hard-fought effort, they narrowly missed out on the top spot, losing the first set 21-14 and starting strong in the second before the experienced Chinese pair turned the tide. Nevertheless, the Americans were elated to bring home the silver.
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Reflecting on the experience, Simon expressed pride in their performance, saying, “Gold is always the goal, but reaching the final itself is beyond what we imagined. This entire journey has been amazing.” Krajewski echoed her sentiments, adding, “No one expected us to come in and win silver, but deep down, we believed we could do it. We gave it our all and ended up in the final.”
The historic run at the Games was not without its challenges. Even before arriving in Paris, the pair faced unexpected delays when their flight was grounded due to mechanical issues, forcing them to switch planes and wait for their luggage to be transferred.
Once the competition began, their schedule was grueling. On the first day alone, they played three matches, spending over 12 hours at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena. Their semifinal match didn’t begin until late at night, further testing their endurance.
Paralympic Badminton: “Give It A Try!”
Their silver medal represents a significant breakthrough for American Paralympic badminton, marking the best-ever finish by a team from the Pan-American region. Brazil’s Vitor Taveres is the only other athlete from the region to reach a medal match in badminton at these Games, vying for bronze in the men’s singles SH6 category.
Looking ahead, both athletes hope that their success will boost the sport’s popularity in the U.S. and attract more support. “I hope this medal brings more visibility and funding to our sport,” Simon said. “We want to inspire others to give badminton a try.”
Wild celebrations! 🥳
When you become the first from your country 🇺🇸 to win Olympic/Paralympic medal in #badminton. 🏅
Next up for Miles Krajewski/Jayci Simon – a historic SH6 mixed doubles final on Monday. 🤗#Parabadminton #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/FfAtDS4w3C
— BWF (@bwfmedia) September 1, 2024
After the Games, Krajewski and Simon will return to their studies—Krajewski at the University of South Dakota and Simon at Lansing Community College, where she also works as an optician. But their focus remains on the future, as they plan to resume training with the aim of competing for gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
“We’re going to keep training hard,” Krajewski said. “With more experience and competitions under our belts, we’ll be ready to chase gold in 2028.”
