Blake Leeper

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Blake Leeper

| image = 2012 Paralympics Men's 400m T44 Victory Ceremony.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Leeper (left) at the 2012 Paralympics Men's 400m T44 victory ceremony.

| birth_name = Patrick Blake Leeper

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|August 31, 1989}}{{cite web |url=http://ipc.infostradasports.com/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=-1&personid=903869 |title=LEEPER Blake |work=Athlete Biographies |publisher=paralympic.org |accessdate=September 6, 2012 |archive-date=January 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119001140/http://ipc.infostradasports.com/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=-1&personid=903869 |url-status=dead}}

| birth_place = Kingsport, Tennessee, USA

| residence = Chula Vista, California, USA

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|the {{flagu|United States}}}}

}}

Blake Leeper (born Patrick Blake Leeper, August 31, 1989) is an American Paralympic athlete who specialised in sprint events typically in the T43, T44 and T62 classifications. He is a multiple medalist in both the Paralympics and World Championships. He is also a former world record holder in the 400m and three-time American record holder.{{cite web |url=http://www.insidequest.com/episode/adversity-redemption-and-becoming-the-fastest-man-alive-blake-leeper/ |title=Adversity, Redemption, and Becoming the Fastest Man Alive – Blake Leeper |publisher=inside Quest |author=insidequest |date=September 8, 2016 |accessdate=April 21, 2016}}

Early life

Patrick Blake Leeper was born in Kingsport, Tennessee with a congenital defect insufficiently formed lower legs ultimately resulting with a double below-the-knee amputation at the age of four.{{cite news |url=https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2023/07/10/too-tall-tale-how-blake-leeper-lost-his-olympic-shot-but-changed-world-rules/ |title=Too-Tall Tale: How Blake Leeper Lost His Olympic Shot But Changed World Rules |work=The Times of San Diego |date=10 July 2023 |first=Ken |last=Stone |access-date=8 September 2024}}

Athletics career

Leeper made his international debut in 2009 at Rio de Janeiro.{{cn|date=May 2024}} In 2011 he won a silver medal in the World Championships 4 × 100 m relay T42–46 classification with a time of 42.84.{{cn|date=May 2024}} In the 2012 Paralympic Games, he won an individual silver medal in the 400 meter T44 event and a bronze medal in the 200m T44 event with a time of 22.46.{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-08/pistorius-wins-400-meters-for-first-paralympics-individual-gold |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118220903/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-08/pistorius-wins-400-meters-for-first-paralympics-individual-gold |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |title=Pistorius Wins 400 Meters for First Paralympics Individual Gold |publisher=Bloomberg News |author=Bensch, Bob |date=September 8, 2012 |accessdate=September 8, 2012}}

Leeper served a competition ban from 2015 to 2017 for an anti-doping regulation violation after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. It was determined that the use of cocaine was "not intended to enhance performance" which resulted in a reduced sanction period.{{cite news |url=https://athleticsweekly.com/featured/paralympic-sprint-medallist-blake-leeper-banned-for-doping-violation-38544/ |title=Paralympic sprint medallist Blake Leeper banned for doping violation |work=Athletics Weekly |date=2 February 2016 |access-date=8 September 2024}} Although the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency had reduced the initial two year ban to one year due to a settlement agreement, a subsequent ruling confirmed that the International Paralympic Committee had no obligation to recognize the agreement, which it did not. Therefore Leeper was ineligible for Rio 2016.

In July 2016, Leeper set an American record in the 400-metre race with a time of 46.54 seconds.{{cite news |url=http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6734442-featured-photos-patrick-blake-leeper-sets-a-new-record/ |title=Patrick Blake Leeper sets a new record |publisher=The Hamilton |author=Steve Milton |newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |date=2016-07-03 |access-date=2016-07-03}}

Leeper returned to competition at the U.S. Track & Field Championships in 2017, becoming the first double-leg amputee to compete at the event.{{cn|date=May 2024}} He set a new world record in the 400m T43 classification in a time of 45.25.{{cite web |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/american-blake-leeper-breaks-oscar-pistorius-record-in-400-metres-4719916/ |accessdate=June 29, 2017 |title=American Blake Leeper breaks Oscar Pistorius record in 400 metres |date=June 24, 2017}}

Although Leeper was chosen by the US Paralympics to represent Team USA in Rio 2016, he did participate in the tournament.{{cite web |url=http://wjhl.com/2016/07/04/blake-leeper-named-to-team-usa-paralympic-team/ |title=Blake Leeper named to Team USA Paralympic team. |publisher=WJHL |author=David McAvoy |date=2016-06-02 |access-date=2016-06-22}}

Leeper placed fourth in the men's 400m T62 final in a personal best time of 47.32 at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.{{cite news |url=https://wcyb.com/sports/content/kingsport-native-leeper-is-4th-in-paralympic-400-m |title=Kingsport native Leeper is 4th in Paralympic 400 M |work=WYCB |date=8 September 2024 |first=Heather |last=Williams |access-date=8 September 2024}}

Prosthetics eligibility in World Athletics

In October 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Leeper's appeal to run with in major World Athletics events (including the Olympic Games) with his prosthetic legs.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/54694618 |title=Blake Leeper: Paralympian loses Cas appeal to use prosthetics for Olympic qualification |work=BBC News |date=26 October 2020 |access-date=8 September 2024}} He can wear them in other International Competitions although his results will be listed separately and not recognized.{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-panel-decision-application-from-blake-leeper |title=World Athletics panel decision on application from Blake Leeper | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics}}

References

External links

{{World Athletics|united-states/patrick-blake-leeper-14521468|Patrick Blake Leeper}}
{{Team USA|new_id=blake-leeper|name=Blake Leeper}}
{{IPC profile|blake-leeper|Blake Leeper}}
[https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/blake-leeper_2487003 Blake Leeper] at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics ([https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/blake-leeper_2487003 alternate link], [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/blake-leeper_2487003 alternate link 2])

Category:1989 births

Category:Congenital amputees

Category:Living people

Category:Paralympic track and field athletes for the United States

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States

Category:Paralympic silver medalists for the United States

Category:American male sprinters

Category:World record holders in para-athletics

Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Category:Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)

Category:Medalists at the 2011 Parapan American Games