Wheelchair Champions to Defend Their London Marathon Titles
David Weir and Amanda McGrory will defend their Virgin London Marathon
titles on Sunday 22nd April against the strongest fields ever assembled for
the elite wheelchair races.
Weir is aiming to match the six London Marathon titles won by British
Paralympic legend Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson when he makes his 12th
consecutive appearance in the race. Last year he became the first man to
win five wheelchair marathons in London while McGrory smashed the women's
course record to regain the crown she first won in 2009.
"It's gives me a real boost to know I can equal Tanni's record this year,"
said Weir. "She is such a fantastic ambassador for the sport so to match
one her achievements will be fabulous.
"I love the London Marathon. I haven't missed one for 12 years and I
wouldn't miss this one for the world."
Weir won a thrilling sprint finish in 2011, beating Switzerland's Heinz
Frei by two seconds, and the Briton will face the veteran world record
holder again this year when 18 of the world's elite men take to the start
line just four months before the 2012 Paralympic Games.
The British record holder will be up against four former London champions,
including the 54-year-old Frei, a champion three times in the late 1990s,
Mexico's Saul Mendoza, London champion in 2004 and 2005, the 2010 winner,
Josh Cassidy of Canada, and Frenchman Denis Lemeunier, the 2001 champion
who appears in London for the 11th time.
However, Weir's sternest challenge could come from the two fastest men in
the field – South African Ernst van Dyk who has won the prestigious Boston
Marathon a record nine times, and the in-form Japanese racer, Masazumi
Soejima, who won marathons in Tokyo, Boston and New York last year, and
clocked the world's leading time of 1 hour 18 minutes 50 seconds.
The field also includes Marcel Hug of Switzerland, who was second in 2010,
and Poland's Tomasz Hamerlak, London bronze medallist last year.
"We've had such strong fields for the last few years that London is now up
there as one of the best wheelchair marathons in the world," said Weir, who
became a father for the second time last August.
"I know I'm the man to beat in London but whoever is there on the day
that's fine by me. Training's been going really well and I feel in good
shape."
McGrory's task will be equally tough. The American made the most of perfect
conditions last April when she took nearly two minutes from Sandra Graf's
2008 course record. McGrory outsprinted British record holder Shelly Woods
by the narrowest of margins as four women beat the old time.
The recently-married Woods will be out for revenge this time as she looks
to regain the title she won in 2007 while Graf also returns seeking another
win for Switzerland after being second twice and third in the last three
years.
The 11-strong elite women's field also includes the Beijing Paralympic
champion, Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, and the world champion, Wakako
Tsuchida of Japan, not to mention Francesca Porcellato, the Italian who
triumphed in London four times in a row between 2003 and 2006.
Tsuchida will be going for her sixth consecutive Boston victory just a week
before this year's London race. She won the London title in 2010. Hunkeler
was fourth on her only previous London appearance but she has a fine
marathon record with five wins in New York and Berlin to her name.
The field also includes McGrory's US teammates Tatyana McFadden, a former
Chicago and New York champion who was fourth last year, and Shirley Reilly,
three times the Los Angeles champion in recent years.
The 2012 London Marathon elite wheelchair fields
Men Country PB
David Weir GBR 1:27:46
Ernst van Dyk RSA 1:18:27
Masazumi Soejima JPN 1:18:50
Heinz Frei SUI 1:20:14
Marcel Hug SUI 1:21:23
Saul Mendoza MEX 1:21:24
Kota Hokinoue JPN 1:22:01
Josh Cassidy CAN 1:22:02
Choke Yasuoka JPN 1:22:17
Jordi Jimenez ESP 1:22:18
Rafael Botello Jiminez ESP 1:22:18
Denis Lemeunier FRA 1:22:31
Hiroyuki Yamamoto JPN 1:23:16
Roger Puigbo Verdaguer ESP 1:23:22
Krige Schabort USA 1:25:30
Adam Bleakney USA 1:26:03
Tomasz Hamerlak POL 1:27:18
Joshua George USA 1:28:22
Women Country PB
Amanda McGrory USA 1:39:20
Wakako Tsuchida JPN 1:34:06
Sandra Graf SUI 1:35:44
Francesca Porcellato ITA 1:36:54
Shelly Woods GBR 1:37:44
Edith Hunkeler SUI 1:39:27
Diane Roy CAN 1:40:10
Shirley Reilly USA 1:40:26
Christina Schwab USA 1:41:02
Tatyana McFadden USA 1:45:00
Christie Dawes AUS 1:47:01
###
|
