Pasadena City College women's track and field alumna Breanna Clark eclipsed her own world record to earn a gold medal for Team USA in the women's T20 400-meter race on Tuesday at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. It was her second consecutive gold medal performance in that race as she won gold at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Clark finished in 55.18 seconds, breaking her previous world record of 55.99 seconds she had set in Tempe, Arizona on June 16, 2018. She finished a full second ahead of silver medalist Yuliia Shuliar (Ukraine). Jardenia Felix Barbosa da Silva (Brazil) finished in 57.43 for the bronze medal.
Clark, who was diagnosed as autistic at age 4, said, "I intended to snatch that world record like I'm supposed to despite bad weather. I did this in Peru and now this year even in bad weather I was still able to pull through it."
Additionally, the 26-year-old Clark had earlier set a Paralympic record on Monday in the second heat of the 400-meter qualifier with a time of 56.07 seconds.
In 2014, Clark won both the South Coast Conference and SoCal Regional titles in the 400 meters for the Lancers. In 2013 as a PCC freshman, she won medals in two relays, including a bronze in the 4x100 relay, at the CCCAA State Championships.
She received an Elizabeth Jensen athletic scholarship for her accomplishments and academic achievements at PCC. She previously ran prep track at Dorsey High.
Clark's mother is Rosalyn Bryant (now Clark), who, in 1976, ran for USA at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. Rosalyn captured a silver medal on the 4x400 relay team, and also broke the national record in the 400 that year. Now her daughter has picked up two gold medals in an event her mother shined in 44 years earlier.
At PCC, Clark was helped by The Disabled Student Programs & Services (DSP&S) area. Information can be found on the services offered disabled students at PCC's main website: https://pasadena.edu/academics/support/dsps/index.php
(Some information in this release and quotes courtesy of Mike Pesarchick).
Read about Clark's performance at the 2016 Rio Paralympics: Release
Here is Clark racing for PCC in winning the 2014 South Coast Conference 400-meter title
Clark at the podium with her conference gold (PCC photos by Richard Quinton).
