Paralympic Success in Beijing

Paralympic Success in Beijing

Wheelchair Sports Victoria members achieved some fantastic results at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games held last month. A total of 33 members were successful in gaining selection to the Australian Team, with 18 athletes bringing home one or more medals to provide a total tally of six Gold, nine Silver and eight Bronze medals overall.

Perhaps of more importance was the fact that 19 of the 33 members were making their Paralympic debut, which signals a strong future for Wheelchair Sports Victoria members, with many others working hard towards London 2012.

The notable medal performances were:

• Lisa McIntosh winning two Gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the track;

• 17-year old Dylan Alcott winning Gold with the Australian Rollers Wheelchair Basketball team;

• Chris Mullins winning Gold as a part of the world record breaking 4x100m relay track team;

• Sam Bramham Gold and Silver in swimming relays at the pool;

• Daniel Bell adding another Gold to his Paralympic tally as a relay heat swimmer in the pool;

• Wheelchair Rugby silver to Bryce Alman, Shane Brand, Nazim Erdem and Greg Smith;

• Geelong track racer Richard Colman picking up a Silver and a Bronze at the Bird's Nest Stadium;

• Swimming star Ellie Cole bring home a Silver and two Bronze medals at the Water Cube;

• Paralympic debutante Jemima Moore winning Silver in the 4x100m relay wheelchair track team;

• Sarah Bowen collecting Silver in the 100m Breaststroke;

• Madeline Hogan claiming Javelin Bronze on her Games debut; and

• The Australian Gliders Wheelchair Basketball team providing Shelley Chaplin, Melanie Domaschenz, Bridie Kean and Kathleen O'Kelly-Kennedy with a Bronze medal each.

In addition to the medal winning performances, Wheelchair Sports Victoria athletes achieved numerous Personal Best results and made another 28 Finals along the way. 

To all of our Paralympic representatives, your performance, no matter the result, has proved an inspiration to our junior and aspiring athletes, and to the wider community overall. You should be very proud of your achievement by gaining selection and competing in Beijing on the world stage. It is your efforts that reflect so strongly on your dedication to be the best - and it is this dedication that continues to strengthen our Club in many ways both on and off of the sporting arena.

Congratulations to all of Wheelchair Sports Victoria's Paralympic representatives on your participation and success at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

To view all the results of our members and a first hand editorial please click on the links below

Wheelchair Sports Victoria Member Results

Beijing Adventures by Greg Warnecke

Official Photographs from the games can be purchased from Serena Corporate Photography