Heath Francis
 Action shot of Francis during his gold medal run in the 400 m T46 at the 2000 Summer Paralympic's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Heath Wesley Francis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |
 Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
16 November 1981 Newcastle, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Heath Wesley Francis, OAM[1] (born 16 November 1981 in Newcastle, New South Wales[2] is an Australian athlete who has participated in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Paralympics. His right arm was amputated at the age of seven as a result of a mincing accident on his family farm in Booral, New South Wales.[3] At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics he became the first arm amputee athlete to win the sprint treble (100m, 200m and 400m events) at a Paralympics, a feat he accomplished 2 years earlier at the 2006 IPC World Championships. He competes in the T46 classification for arm amputees, where he is the current 200m (21.74s) & 400m (47.63s) World Record holder. Both World Record times were run at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.[4]
In 2000, his competitive sport participation was sponsored by the New South Wales WorkCover.[5]
He received a Medal of The Order of Australia for his 2000 gold medals.[1] He also received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000[6] and a Centenary Medal in 2001.[7] He was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder from 2003 to 2010[8] and was coached by Irina Dvoskina.[9] In 2014, he was inducted into the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre Path of Champions.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Francis, Heath Wesley, OAM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ↑ Australian Media Guide : 2000 Paralympic Games, Sydney, Australia. Canberra: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2000. p. 25.
- ↑ "Heath Francis Athlete Profile". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Australian paralympic Committee. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ↑ "Francis snares gold and record time". SBS World News. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Success". Parliament of New South Wales. 1 November 2000. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ↑ "Francis, Heath: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ↑ "Francis, Heath Wesley: Centenary Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ↑ "AIS Track and Field Achievements". Australian Sports Commission Website. Australian Sports Commission. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ↑ "Goodman honoured with prestigious Paralympic Medal". Athletics Australia. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ↑ "2014 Induction Ceremony". Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre website. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
External links
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Nathan Deakes and Anna Meares |
Australian Athlete of the Year 2008 (with Ken Wallace) |
Succeeded by Emma Moffatt and Brenton Rickard |