Goalball Preview

A team sport specific to the Paralympic Games, goalball has been featured on the Paralympic program since 1980. Both U.S. teams medaled five years ago at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 and will seek to continue their success on the court in Tokyo. 

A sport for visually impaired athletes, goalball is similar in concept to handball. Two teams of three line up on a court in front of the goals that span the width of the court at each end. The object is to throw a specially designed ball into the goal. The ball contains bells for athletes to determine its location, both to pick up and throw and also to defend.

Each U.S. squad has six athletes. The American women won bronze at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 and are currently led by 2016 medalists Lisa Czechowski (Boonton, New Jersey), Asya Miller (Portland, Oregon), Amanda Dennis (Peachtree City, Georgia), Eliana Mason (Beaverton, Oregon) and Marybai Huking (Salt Lake City). Mindy Cook (Columbus, Ohio) joins them as the lone Paralympic rookie. Czechowski and Miller, both five-time Paralympians and four-time Paralympic medalists, will lead the women in an effort to land atop the podium for the first time since 2008. 

The U.S. men’s team will also rely heavily on its Paralympic veterans as it returns Tyler Merren (Coral Springs, Florida), John Kusku (Commerce Township, Michigan), Matt Simpson (Smyrna, Georgia) and Daryl Walker (Jacksonville, Florida) from the squad that captured the silver medal at the 2016 Games. Zach Buhler (Marion, Indiana) and Calahan Young (Irwin, Pennsylvania) are the Paralympic rookies. Merren is a three-time Paralympian and two-time Paralympic medalist.

The U.S. women claimed silver at the 2019 IBSA Goalball International Qualifier, where they secured their qualification for Tokyo. The Americans lost a close match to China in the championship match and will be looking for a rematch at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The U.S. men’s team secured its spot in Tokyo with a silver-medal performance at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.

The U.S. men will be placed in Pool A at the Games along with Algeria, Brazil, Japan and 2016 gold medalist Lithuania. The U.S. women will contest Pool D with Brazil, Egypt, Japan and Turkey. Pool play is followed by a knockout round.

Updated on July 19, 2021. For more information, contact the sport press officer.
Goalball is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021. The sport was originally developed in 1946 as a rehabilitation program for veterans who lost their sight in World War II. Goalball was officially added to the Paralympic program in 1976.

Will this be the year for Tyler Merren? Competing in his fourth Paralympic Games, Merren has yet to win a gold medal with the U.S. men. He’s thus far been part of a bronze medal in 2004 and a silver medal in 2016. Gold has also eluded Merren on the world championship level, though he helped the U.S. win bronze in 2014.
Lisa Czechowski, 42, is one of the leaders on the U.S. women’s team while her husband Jake leads the U.S. men from the bench as head coach. Lisa will be competing at her sixth Paralympic Games and has one medal of each color so far. Czechowski won her first Paralympic medal in 2000, but in discus, taking silver. Czechowski has competed only in goalball at the Games ever since.

Along with Czechowski, Asya Miller has been one of the longtime leaders on the U.S. women’s team. Miller, 41, will also be competing in her sixth Paralympic Games, and like Czechowski won her first medal in discus in 2000. Miller has also competed in powerlifting, winning world championships in 2000, 2001 and 2009. 

Matt Simpson, 31, returns for the second consecutive Paralympic Games. Since helping the U.S. men win silver in Rio, Simpson has graduated law school at the University of Virginia. Simpson also serves on the board of directors of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and the Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities, training home of the U.S. goalball teams.

Calahan Young, 25, will provide an imposing physical presence for Team USA at 6-foot-5 in his first Paralympic Games. In helping the U.S. lock up its Tokyo berth at the 2019 Parapan American Games, Young pitched in 15 goals.
August 25, 2021: Paralympic competition begins with preliminary round play, U.S. women vs. Brazil
August 26, 2021: U.S. men vs. Brazil
August 27, 2021: U.S. men vs. Japan, U.S. women vs. Egypt
August 28, 2021: U.S. women vs. Japan
August 29, 2021: U.S. men vs. Algeria
August 30, 2021: U.S. men vs. Lithuania, U.S. women vs. Turkey
August 31, 2021: Men’s quarterfinals
September 1, 2021: Women’s quarterfinals
September 2, 2021: Men’s and women’s semifinals
September 3, 2021: Men’s and women’s bronze- and gold-medal matches