Brent
Lakatos

Wheelchair racer Brent Lakatos won four silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, his fifth career Paralympics. He was second in the T53 100m, 400m, and 1500m events as well as the T54 5000m.

More recently at the 2023 World Championships he notched a gold and two silver with a victory in the 800 and second place finishes in the 400m and 1500m.

He concluded a tough 2019 season in brilliant fashion with two gold medals and one silver at the IPC World Championships. Lakatos posted victories in the 100m and 800m and added a silver in the 400m.

At the 2017 World Championships, Lakatos notched four gold medals (100, 200, 400 and 800m). He entered the worlds on the strength of four world record performances at spring meets.

He also collected four medals at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio with gold in the 100m, silver in the 400m and bronze in the 800m and 4X400m relay.

In 2015, he won three gold medals at the Parapan American Games in Toronto and four medals, including three more gold, at the IPC World Championships.

Lakatos clinched three Paralympic silver medals at London 2012, and four gold and one silver at the 2013 IPC World Championships in Lyon, France. In May 2014 he broke his own world record in the 100m T53 at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland, clocking 14.17.

Legendary Canadian wheelchair racers André Viger and Chantal Petitclerc were big influences on Lakatos who is carving his own path to greatness.  It was Viger who introduced Lakatos to wheelchair racing and provided him with his first chair for the sport, a piece of equipment previously owned by Petitclerc.

From the moment he put on the gloves and pushed off, Lakatos has just kept going faster and faster.

He was recruited to play wheelchair basketball for the University of Texas [where he won the 2002 national title] and then successfully qualified for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens despite switching to wheelchair racing just eight months earlier.  At Texas he studied engineering and is now a programmer analyst.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 Paralympic Games with 11 career medals ( one gold, eight silver and two bronze) … 2015 Parapan American Games (three gold)… 2006, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023 IPC World Championships (14 gold, six silver and two bronze)…

As of July 2024 holds three  world records (T53 100m, 200m, 800m)

PERSONAL

Lakatos married Stefanie Reid, a member of the British Paralympic athletics team, in 2008… At age six he was involved in a skating accident playing hockey. The impact of hitting the ice caused a blood clot to form in his spine, which resulted in paralysis.

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

• 2023 IPC World Championships 800m 1st
• 2023 IPC World Championships 400m 2nd
• 2023 IPC World Championships 1500m 2nd
• 2020 Paralympic Games 100m 2nd
• 2020 Paralympic Games 400m 2nd
• 2020 Paralympic Games 1500m 2nd
• 2020 Paralympic Games 5000m 2nd
• 2019 IPC World Championships 100m 1st
• 2019 IPC World Championships 800m 1st
• 2019 IPC World Championships 400m 2nd
• 2018 Swiss Open 5000m 3rd
• 2018 Swiss Open 400m 3rd
• 2018 Swiss Open 1500m 3rd
• 2018 Daniela Jutzeler Memorial 800m 2nd
• 2018 Daniela Jutzeler Memorial 5000m 2nd
• 2018 Swiss Grand Prix 800m 1st
• 2018 Swiss Grand Prix 400m 2nd
• 2018 Swiss Grand Prix 5000m 3rd
• 2017 IPC World Championships 100m 1st
• 2017 IPC World Championships 200m 1st
• 2017 IPC World Championships 400m 1st
• 2017 IPC World Championships 800m 1st
• 2016 Paralympic Games 100m 1st
• 2016 Paralympic Games 400m 2nd
• 2016 Paralympic Games 800m 3rd
• 2016 Paralympic Games 4X400m 3rd
• 2015 IPC World Championships 800m 1st
• 2015 IPC World Championships 200m 1st
• 2015 IPC World Championships 100m 1st
• 2015 IPC World Championships 400m 2nd
• 2015 Parapan American Games 100m 1st
• 2015 Parapan American Games 400m 1st
• 2015 Parapan American Games 800m 1st
• 2013 IPC World Championships 200m 1st
• 2013 IPC World Championships 100m 1st
• 2013 IPC World Championships 4X400m relay 1st
• 2012 Paralympic Games 200m 2nd
• 2012 Paralympic Games 400m 2nd
• 2012 Paralympic Games 800m 2nd
• 2011 IPC World Championships 200m 2nd
• 2011 IPC World Championships 100m 3rd
• 2008 Paralympic Games 400m 5th
• 2008 Paralympic Games 200m 5th
• 2008 Paralympic Games 4X100m relay 4th
• 2006 IPC World Championships 100m 3rd
• 2006 IPC World Championships 200m 4th
• 2006 IPC World Championships 400m 5th
• 2006 IPC World Championships 800m 8th
• 2004 Paralympic Games 4X100m relay 4th