In the August issue, The O&P EDGE highlighted six athletes who should be exciting to watch. Now that the Paralympics are complete, we wanted to provide you with a follow-up on these athletes’ performance in the Games. We applaud all of the Paralympic athletes for their efforts and achievements.
Athletics (track and field)
April Holmes
Classification: T44 (Single transtibial amputation or athletes who can walk with moderately reduced function in one or both legs.)
Women’s 100m: 3rd place/Bronze medal – 13.33 seconds, seasonal best
Women’s 200m: Did not start (DNS)
Blake Leeper
Classification: T43 (Bilateral, transtibial amputation or combined arm/leg amputations.)
Men’s 100m- 5th place – 11.21 seconds
Men’s 200m- 3rd place/Bronze medal – 22.46 seconds
Men’s 400m- 2nd place/Silver medal – 50.14seconds, regional record
Men’s 4x100m relay, T42/T46 classification: Disqualified (DQ)
Swimming
Jessica Long
Classification: S8/SB7/SM8 (Swimmers with physical disabilities are allocated a category between 1 and 10, with 1 corresponding to the most severe types of disability. S = freestyle, back and butterfly strokes; SB = breaststroke; and SM = individual medley.)
Women’s 50m freestyle: 5th place – 31.79 seconds
Women’s 100m freestyle: 1st place/Gold medal – 1:05.63, world record (WR)
Women’s 4x100m medley relay, 34 points: 3rd place/Bronze medal – 4:54.13, America’s record (AR)
Women’s 400m freestyle: 1st place/Gold medal – 4:42.8, WR
Women’s 100m butterfly: 1st place/Gold medal -1:10.32, Paralympic record (PR)
Women’s 100m breaststroke, SB7: 1st place/Gold medal – 1:29.28, PR
Women’s 100m backstroke- Silver Medal- 1:18.67
Women’s 200m individual medley, SM8: 1st place/Gold medal – 2:37.09, PR
Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, 34 points: 2nd place/Silver medal – 4:24.57
(Long was tied with two others: Jacqueline Freney and Matthew Cowdrey for Top Paralympic Medalist.)
Rudy Garcia-Tolson
(Chosen as an athlete to watch in swimming, but also competed in athletics.)
Athletics classification: T42 (Single above-knee amputation or combined arm/leg amputations.)
Men’s 100m: did not qualify for finals
Men’s 200m: 9th place – 26.97 seconds, personal best
Swimming classification: S8/SB7/SM7
Men’s 400m freestyle: did not qualify for finals
Men’s 100m butterfly: did not qualify for finals
100m backstroke: did not qualify for finals
Men’s 200m individual medley, SM7: 2nd place/Silver medal – 2:33.94, AR
Men’s 4x100m medley relay, 34 Points: 6th place – 4:26.04
Cycling
Megan Fisher
Classification: C4 (Cyclists with upper- or lower-limb impairments and low-level neurological impairment.)
Cycling, Road
Women’s individual C4-5 road race: Did not finish (DNF)
Women’s individual C4 time trial: 1st place/Gold medal – 26:04.39 (16km distance)
Cycling, Track
Women’s individual C4 pursuit: 2nd place/Silver medal – 4:06.599
Women’s individual C4-5 500m time trial: 9th place – 42.178 seconds, 42.676km/h average speed
Anthony Zahn
Classification: C1 (Cyclists with upper- or lower-limb disabilities and the most severe neurological dysfunction.)
Cycling, Road
Men’s individual C1-3 road race: DNF
Men’s individual C1 time trial: 8th place – 29:18.28 (16km distance)
Cycling, Track
Men’s individual C1 pursuit: 8th place – 4:38.466
Men’s individual C1-2-3 1km time trial: 28th place – 1:23.312, 43.211km/h average speed
Editor’s note: For complete Paralympic results, visit www.london2012.com/paralympics/athletes/
