Illinois Paralympians Dodson, Pike open competitions in Beijing
Division of Disability Resources & Educational Services
University of Illinois athlete Travis Dodson played 15 minutes as Team USA's Paralympic sled hockey team opened its gold-medal defense with a 5-0 victory over Canada on Saturday, as the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games opened in Beijing.
Team USA is looking for its fourth consecutive Paralympic gold medal. Dodson, a 2015 Illinois graduate, is competing in his third Paralympic Games.
Team USA continues preliminary round play on Sunday against South Korea.
Fellow Illini athlete Aaron Pike finished eighth in the men's sitting biathlon sprint. A constant in the Paralympics over the past decade, Pike is competing in his sixth Paralympic Games. He raced in Tokyo for U.S. Paralympics Track & Field, competing in the marathon. He graduated from Illinois in 2011 with a degree in sociology.