Daniel Wagner Jørgensen
About Daniel Wagner Jørgensen
A keen gymnast since the age of two, Daniel Wagner Jørgensen has passion for track and field sports, which he takes part in four to five times a week, six times a week when training for the Paralympics. He also enjoys vault gymnastics and snowboarding whenever he has the chance.
Daniel became an amputee following an accident in 2008. Having performed a double front flip on the trampoline at a gymnastics show, he landed badly dislocating his knee. Tragically, during treatment, it became necessary to amputate his leg.
Fast facts
| Nationality | Danish |
|---|---|
| Amputation | Right leg – through-knee amputee |
| Competitive Class | T42, F42 |
| Main Events | 100m, 200m, Long Jump |
Competitive highlights
| Year | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 2012 |
Paralympic Games, London, UK IPC Athletics European Championship Stadskanaal |
| 2011 |
IWAS Junior World Championships in Dubai 2011 World Championships in New Zealand |
Biography
Undeterred, Daniel entered the 100 and 200 meter sprint events in 2009 at the Danish track and field disabled championships, becoming Danish champion with times of 15.22 and 33.63 seconds respectively.
Spurred on by his success, Daniel later participated in the Dutch Open in Holland, taking on the T42-classified 100 and 200 meter events. There he set new personal and European junior records for the 100m (13.99s) and 200m(29.43s). Suddenly he was ranked 5 and 6 on a world level and was firmly on his way to the elite series.
Having qualified for the 2011 World Championships in New Zealand, he placed fifth in the 100m and sixth in the 200m, managing to surpass his personal best for both events with results that were good enough to defend his place in the world rankings.
Later in 2011, Daniel went to the IWAS Junior World Championships in Dubai. In the 100m event he ran in the T42 class (for below-knee amputees) and came third with a new personal best of 13.46. For the 200m, he ran in the T37 class, placing third with a time of 27.43s. In his third event, Long Jump, the competition was fairer due to the classification/point system and Daniel took Gold, becoming World Champion.