Team USA/Mark Reis
Korban Best
Southlake Paralympic sprinter Korban Best saved his very best for the T47 100-meter dash finals in Paris. The 21-year-old finished with a personal-best time of 10.75 seconds in the event coming in second to Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos, who took home the gold with a time of 10.68 seconds.
Graduating with the Southlake Carroll class of 2021, Korban Best was born with an upper right-arm deviation called ulnar dysplasia, but he never let that slow him down. In fact, he played football and ran track and field through middle school and high school, calling himself "Cheetah Fast."
“I feel great,” Best told "USA Today" after the race. “Stepping on the world stage and causing a ripple effect like I did for my first year in para was absolutely astronomical. I wanted gold. Silver’s the next best thing, and we’re going to come back in LA and win at home.”
Korban, a rookie on the pro circuit, bursting onto the scene at the U.S. Para Track and Field Nationals and the Nike Prefontaine Classic. He qualified for the Paralympics over the summer, finishing first in the 100-meter race during the team trials.
Best of all, Korban isn’t done in Paris yet. He will compete next in the first round of the universal 100-meter relay on Sept. 6 at 3 a.m. Should he advance, the finals in the relay are set for noon on Sept. 6.