Xenia Christian grad Grace Norman wins gold at Paralympics in Rio

Cedarville University freshman and Xenia Christian grad Grace Norman wins gold at the Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. CONTRIBUTED

Cedarville University freshman and Xenia Christian grad Grace Norman wins gold at the Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. CONTRIBUTED

Cedarville University freshman Grace Norman won gold Sunday morning in the triathlon at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Competing in the PT4 class, Norman, a Xenia Christian High School graduate, pulled away from Great Britian’s Lauren Steadman on the course along Copacabana Beach to win the first Paralympic medal ever awarded in women’s triathlon.

https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/774977295182245892

Norman, 18, won in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 39 seconds on the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run course. Norman finished 1:04 ahead of Steadman. Gwladys Lemoussu of France was third.

"It feels amazing," Norman told TeamUSA.org . "It's been a l0ng journey, a lot of training, a lot of everything. So to come across that line first for the U.S., to make first in the history of paratriathlon, is just an incredible feeling."

Norman, a Jamestown resident, won the 2016 world championship this summer . She finished second to Steadman in the 2015 world championships and a pre-Games para-triathlon event in Rio last year.

Norman also will run in the 400-meter run finals Monday night.

ARCHDEACON: Norman pursues Paralympic gold in Rio