Wheelchair racing legend Kurt Fearnley headlines the 2012 Australian Paralympic Athletics Team announced today, and has set his sights on becoming the first athlete in history to win the Paralympic wheelchair marathon at three consecutive Games.

The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) announced the athletics team for the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre today, during the team’s final training camp on home soil before the Games begin on 29 August.

Fearnley is one of 36 athletes to be officially selected by the APC Board with a further seven athletes currently nominated. Those selections will be confirmed in the coming days to complete the 43-strong team.

Athletics is Australia’s most successful sport at the Paralympic Games to date, yielding 145 gold, 139 silver and 131 bronze medals since it was introduced at the first Paralympics in Rome 1960.

“Australia has a strong and proud history in athletics at the Paralympic Games with some of our most memorable sporting moments taking place on the athletics track and in the field,” said Jason Hellwig, APC Chief Executive and 2012 Team Chef de Mission.

“Athletics will be our biggest sport in London and of the athletes selected today; there is an equal mix of youth, experience and of course, a wealth of talent.

“This is a very young team with 22 of the athletes so far selected under the age of 25. Not only do we expect this team to perform well in London but we know that this team has the talent and longevity to perform well at Rio 2016 and beyond.”

Fearnley is one of several reigning World and Paralympic champions in the squad aiming for something special at the London Games.

Among the other leading lights are Evan O’Hanlon, the cerebral palsy sprinter who won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in world record time in Beijing 2008; reigning 100m and long jump world champion Kelly Cartwright who is the world record holder across the 100m, 200m and long jump in the T42 leg amputee classification; and Louise Sauvage’s protégé Madison de Rozario who was the youngest Australian medallist at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Paralympic athletics is open to all athletes who meet minimum physical or intellectual requirements. London will host 170 athletics medal events for a total of 1,100 athletes, over 25 per cent of the total number of athletes expected to compete at the Games.

The London Paralympic Games will take place from 29 August through to 9 September, 2012.


2012 Australian Paralympic Athletics Team (click on athlete to view their profile)

Angela Ballard – Camperdown, NSW

Carlee Beattie – Warwick, QLD

Georgia Beikoff – Valentine, NSW

Damien Bowen – Queanbeyan, NSW

Matthew Cameron – Wynnum, QLD

Kelly Cartwright – Geelong, VIC

Gabriel Cole – Malvern, SA

Richard Colman – Geelong, VIC

Christie Dawes – Merewether, NSW

Madison de Rozario – Success, WA

Rachael Dodds – Hawthorne, QLD

Jodi Elkington – Wodonga, VIC

Louise Ellery – McKellar, ACT

Kurt Fearnley – Newcastle, NSW

Jessica Gallagher – Geelong, VIC

Sam Harding – Belconnen, ACT

Todd Hodgetts – Launceston, TAS

Madeleine Hogan – Ferntree Gully, VIC

Jake Lappin – Kilmore, VIC

Rosemary Little – West Pennant Hills, NSW

Rheed McCracken – Bundaberg, QLD

Richard Nicholson – Melba, ACT

Evan O’Hanlon – Hunters Hill, NSW

Katy Parrish – South Yarra, VIC

Simon Patmore – Carseldine, QLD

Kristy Pond – Baulkham Hills, NSW

Kath Proudfoot – Macgregor, ACT

Scott Reardon – Temora, NSW

Michael Roeger – Langhorne Creek, SA

Stephanie Schweitzer – Baulkham Hills, NSW

Brad Scott – Bruce, WA

Russell Short – Glen Huntly, VIC

Matthew Silcocks – Mount Waverley, VIC

Lindsay Sutton – Mount Mellum, QLD

Jack Swift – East Ivanhoe, VIC

Erinn Walters – Holder, ACT

By APC Media

Posted 6/6/2012