united_states summer paralympics united_states sent delegation compete summer paralympics beijing china total competitors took sports sports americans compete soccer american delegation included members military including veterans iraq war shot paralyzed accident iraq swimmer united_states_army officer lost left leg bomb war united_states finished gold overall medal count host nation china great_britain finish improvement finished fourth gold overall medal count saw significant gains paralympic swimming winning gold medals total medals took home athens swimmers set total world records paralympic records records american records coverage games provided official website disability classifications participant paralympics disability grouped disability categories sustained injury illness cerebral wheelchair athletes overlapping categories visual including les physical disability fall strictly categories example multiple paralympic sport classifications depending specific physical demands competition events given code numbers letters describing type event classification athletes competing sports athletics divided athletes category severity disabilities sports swimming grouped competitors different categories separation based severity disability athletes competed individuals different classifications event example track field athlete competed men meters prefix designated track event disability classification finished competing class set world record classification specific classification information pages individual sports summer paralympics sports following american athletes won medals games dates september discipline sections names bold american team consisted seven men woman highest placed finishers won bronze medal competed men individual compound open winning going finish fourth event track field athletics american track field team consisted men women shot veteran paralyzed iraq fell truck holding pounds ammunition team set world records won total gold fourteen silver bronze medals medals team won athens won medals team member won medals track field athlete win men legend final decided basis rank heat final decided basis rank heat paralympic record team consisted single competitor lost pool stage matches advance knock stage cycling initial members paralympic cycling team named june paralympics cycling national championships morrison colorado final roster included thirteen athletes seven men women team entered games goal gold medals total surpassed goal finishing fourteen medals gold silver bronze factor time ensure fair event athletes differing disabilities compete times achieved modified percentage rate produce result known factor time time decided result races listed differs actual time recorded actual time listed road track equestrian equestrian events held paralympic games discipline american riders competed individual team events paralympic sport played athletes blind visually impaired men team hoped repeat bronze medal performance athens lost sweden final women team improved silver medal performance athens defeating china gold medal match men women selected representative women division paralympic trials american men went trials automatically selected team time won bronze medal men kilogram class team consisted competitors stack lifts declared invalid missed attempts lift attempt stack managed lift weight judges accept lift disqualified wise completed valid lifts maximum finished eleventh place key marks recorded rowing paralympic rowing team selected rowing national championships composed athletes time rowing appeared medal sport paralympic games multiple won medals track field paralympics battled breast cancer treatment win bronze medal women single age mixed team rallied final race silver medal qualification legend final medal final non medal sailing united_states entered crews sailing events held international sailing centre clinched gold medal class races left series time won bronze medal competitive final race seven players fleet started single digit points shooting sent athletes man woman compete shooting events paralympics swimming paralympic swimming trials held april minneapolis minnesota total swimming athletes male female selected represent paralympic games united_states_army officer lost left leg bomb iraq war veteran selected paralympics roster included ncaa champion yard breast stroke time olympic hopeful world record breaker paralyzed accident left beijing gold silver bronze medals total medals took home athens athletes team received medal swimmers set total world records paralympic records records american records men listed finishing heats ninth place started final place eighth place round decided time basis ranks shown overall rank competitors heats round decided time basis ranks shown overall rank competitors heats paralympic record table tennis united_states sent athletes men woman compete paralympic table tennis men women women sitting team upset world number netherlands sets reach gold medal match lost china silver medal men sitting team failed qualify paralympics losing brazil american games women sitting wheelchair basketball united_states qualified men women wheelchair basketball tournaments qualifying tournaments americas men team finished fourth place losing great_britain bronze final women team successfully defended gold medal win germany men iran withdrew match united_states september match rescheduled changed logical reason according head iran delegation result awarded win score automatically advanced semi finals women wheelchair fencing united_states sent athletes men woman compete wheelchair fencing wheelchair rugby paralympics teams sport wheelchair rugby mixed classification athletes sexes united_states qualified winning world wheelchair rugby championships went win gold medal wheelchair rugby introduced demonstration sport wheelchair tennis american wheelchair tennis team consisted players competed men events competed women events competed mixed events tennis team coached assistant coach team leader personal care assistant taylor wagner successfully defended title mixed doubles won years earlier men competed bronze medal match mixed singles event wagner prevailing media coverage coverage paralympic games provided daily live delayed highlight shows coverage opening closing ceremonies available demand september daily video highlights available official website television broadcast began october followed seven days hour segments coverage special presentation highlighting events broadcast nbc october minute documentary presented nbc november followed broadcast games november
United States at the 2008 Summer Paralympics