Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Background

The Australian Paralympic Team launch was held at Parliament House, Canberra on 25 June 2012. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott farewelled the team. Julia Gillard told the athletes that they were "the fastest, the strongest, the best" and Tony Abbott said "you are best of the best. In fact you are better than that because each one of you has mastered a significant disability to be in this team." Gillard stated that the Australian Government has invested A$13 million in team funding during the last year. The Australian Paralympic Committee organised a Staging Camp in Cardiff, Wales from 1 to 28 August 2012 to allow the Australian team to prepare for the Games.

On 21 August 2012, Greg Smith was announced as the Australian flag bearer for the London 2012 Summer Paralympics. The announcement was made at a special ceremony for the Australian Paralympic Team in front of Cardiff Castle in Wales.

Team

There were 161 athletes competing in 13 sports. About half the team attended their first Games. Shooter Libby Kosmala at the age of 70 was Australia's oldest competitor and swimmer Maddison Elliott at the age of 13 the youngest.

Jason Hellwig, the Australian Paralympic Committee's chief executive is the Chef de Mission. and Michael Hartung and Kate McLoughlin are the Deputy Chefs de Mission. The flag bearer was wheelchair rugby player and former track and field athlete Greg Smith.

Athletics

Athletics team Selected team of 43 athletes.

Support staff – Administration -Andrew Faichney (Section Manager), Don Elgin (Section Manager), Lynda Gusbeth (Section Manager), Stephanie Martin (Personal Care Assistant), Janet Rerden; Coaches – Steve Butler, Andrew Dawes, Iryna Dvoskina, John Eden, Aaron Holt, Brett Jones, Tim Matthews, Fred Periac, Brett Robinson, Louise Sauvage; Physiotherapists – Victoria Moore, Bernadette Petzel, Soft Tissue Therapist – Mick Jordan, Phil Power; Mechanic – Andrew Carter

Australia finished 10th on the athletics medal table winning 27 medals – 5 gold, 9 silver and 13 bronze. Gold medalists were – Evan O'Hanlon (gold), Richard Colman, Kelly Cartwright and Todd Hodgetts. Russell Short attended his 7th Games, Hamish MacDonald his 6th Games and Christine Dawes and Richard Nicholson their 5th Games.

Cycling

Selected team of 15 athletes. Kieran Modra was attending his 7th Games.

Support staff – Administration – Murray Lydeamore (Section Manager) ; Coaches – Peter Day (Head), Jenni Banks, Paul Martens, Tom Skulander ; Mechanic – Peter Giessauf, Mike Winter ; Physiotherapist – Anouska Edwards, Soft tissue therapist – Alan Downes

Equestrian

Selected team of 4 athletes.

Support staff – Administration – Sally Francis (Section Manager) ; Coach – Julia Battams (Head) ; Physioptherapist – Victoria Kahn ; Grooms – Elsa Davis, Nicole King, Fay Mendez, Kate O'Brien ; Veterinarian – Janine Dwyer
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Three athletes attended Games for the first time. Australia won its first gold medal since the 2000 Sydney Games with Joann Formosa's medal.

Women's tournament

Selected Australian women's team of 6 athletes

Support staff – Administration – Peter Corr (Section Manager); Coach – Georgina Kenaghan ; Physiothyerapist – Eliza Kwan

The team went into to the Games is ranked eight in the world and is the first Australian goalball team to qualify for the Paralympic sport since Atlanta in 1996. It competed in Group B against China, United States, Sweden, Japan and Canada. The Australian men's team did not qualify after losing the Africa Oceania Goalball Regional Championships 5–4 against Algeria.

Powerlifting

Selected team of 2 athletes.
Men – Darren Gardiner and Abebe Fekadu.
Support staff – Administration – Scott Upston (Section Manager) ; Coach – Ray Epstein

Gardiner, a previous Games medallist, competed at his fourth Games and Fekadu and a refugee from Ethiopia competed at his second Games. Australia did not win any medals.

Rowing

Single scull – Erik Horrie
Pair – Gavin Bellis, Kathryn Ross
Support staff – Administration – Dean Oakman (Section Manager); Coach – Chad King (Head) ; Boat Technician – Urs Graf ; Physiotherapist – Erin Smyth

Australia won a silver medal through Erik Horrie.

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); R=Repechage

Sailing

Selected team of 6 athletes

Support staff – Administration – Sarah Karsten (Section Manager), Peter Conde (Support staff) ; Coaches – Grant Alderson, Tim Lowe, Richard Scarr ; Physiotherapist – Sarah Ross, Technical Support – Adrian Finglas, Boat Technician – Jeffery Milligan ; Personal Care Attendant – Kumi Sasaki

Lisel Tesch attendedg her sixth Games but the first as sailor. She previously captained Australian women's wheelchair basketball team to medals at previous Games. Tesch won her first Paralympic gold medal in combing with Daniel Fitzgibbon to win Two Person Keelboat.

Shooting

Selected team of 6 athletes.

Support staff – Admionistration – Nick Sullivan (Section Manager) ; Coach – Miro Sipek ; Technical Support – Stuart Smith ; Personal Care Attendant – Anne Bugden, Yvonne Cain, Margaret Zubcic

Libby Kosmala competed at her 11th Paralympic Games at the age of 70. Ashley Adams competed at his 4th Games. Australia won one bronze medal through Natalie Smith.

Swimming

Selected team of 35 athletes.

Men's events

Legend: Q= Qualified for final; OC= Oceania Record; PR= Paralympic Record; WR= World Record

Women's events

Qualification Legend: Q= Qualified for final; OC= Oceania Record; PR= Paralympic Record; WR= World Record

Support staff – Administration – Karyn Burgess (Section Manager) ; Coaches – Brendan Keogh (Head), Angelo Basalo, Tom Davis, Michael Freney, Rob Hindmarsh, Jon O'Neil-Shaw, Chris Phillips, Bash Zidan ; Personal Care Attendant – Tara Andrews ; Physiotherapist – David Spurrier, Jo Evershed ; Sport Scientists – Brendan Burkett, Sacha Fulton ; Soft tissue therapist – Penny Will ; Psychologist – Jason Patchell

Australia finished second on the gold medal table and won a total of 37 medals 18 gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze. Leading swimmers were – Jacqueline Freney won 8 gold medals, Matthew Cowdrey won 5 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal and Ellie Cole won 4 gold medals and 2 bronze medals.

Table tennis

Selected team of 2 athletes.
Women- Melissa Tapper and Rebecca McDonnell. Support staff – Administration – Roger Massie (Section Manager); Coach – Alois Rosario (Head)

Australia did not win any medals.

Men's tournament

The Australian men's wheelchair basketball team were in Group A with the United States, Spain, South Africa, Italy and Turkey. Australia won the silver medal, losing to Canada in the final.

The following is the Australia roster in the men's wheelchair basketball tournament of the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Support staff – men – administration – Leigh Gooding (section manager); coaches – Ben Ettridge (head), Matteo Feriani (assistant), Thomas Kyle (assistant), physiotherapist – Jesse Adams.

Women's tournament

The Australian women's wheelchair basketball team were in Group A with the Netherlands, Great Britain, Brazil and Canada. Australia won the silver medal, losing to Germany in the final.

The following is the Australia roster in the women's wheelchair basketball tournament of the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Support staff – women – administration – Marian Stewart (section manager); coaches – John Triscari (head), David Gould, Ben Osborne; physiotherapist – Miranda Wallis.

Wheelchair rugby

Selected team of 11 athletes

Six athletes made their Games debut. The Australian team 'the Steelers' went into the Games as the silver medallist from the 2008 Beijing Games and 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships. Australia defeated Canada to win its first wheelchair rugby gold medal.

Support staff – Administration – Paul Kiteley (Section Manager) ; Coach – Brad Dubberley (Head); Technical Support – Chevvy Cooper ; Personal Care Assistant – Angela Mansell ; Physiotherapist – Simon Mole

Wheelchair tennis

Selected team of 4 athletes.

Support staff – Administration – Brenda Tierney (Section Manager) ; Coaches – Greg Crump (Head), Craig Purcell

Daniela Di Toro competed at her fifth Games. Australia did not win any medals.

Administration and support

Team Executive – Jason Hellwig (Chef de Mission), Michael Hartung (Deputy Cheff de Mission), Kate McLoughlin(Deputy Chef de Mission), Adam McCarthy (Paralympic Attache), Kurt Plummer (Security Liaison Officer), Jim FitzSimons (General Counsel)

Operations - Caroline Walker (Manager, Logistics), Anna Muldoon (Cooridinator, Logistics), Chris Nunn (Manager, Coach Services), Steven Graham (Assistant, Coach Services), Greg Omay (Assistant, Coach Services), Natalie Hutchinson (Manager, Team Services), Cathy Lambert, (Cooridinator, Team Services), Chris Voysey (Manager, Information Technology), Tim Murphy (Assistant, Information Technology), Genevieve McMahon (Manager, Classification), Steve Loader(Manager, Off Airport Processing)

Media Team – Tim Mannion (Manager, Media, and Communications),Shaun Giles (Manager, Multimedia), Margie McDonald (MLO), Gennie Sheer (MLO), Lachlan Searle (MLO), Chris Abbott (MLO), David Sygall (MLO), Jacqualine Chartres (MLO), Rebekka Wake (MLO), Sarah Rogers (MLO), Darcy Bonser (Cooridinator, Multimedia), Olivia McGrath (Cooridinator, Multimedia), Neil Cross (MLO), Jeff Crow (Chief Photographer), Judy Goldman (MLO,Sydney Office)

Medical Staff - Alison Campbell (Manager, SSSM), Linda Clow (Team Doctor), Corey Cunningham (Team Doctor), Geoff Thompson (Team Doctor), Ruth Fazakerley (Nurse/Clinic Administrator), Richard Bennett (Psychologist), Sarah Jack (Psychologist), Liz Broad (Manager, Nutrition), Siobhan Moran (Assistant, Nutrition), Jo Vaile (Manager, Recovery), Matthew Driller (Assistant, Recovery), Keren Faulkner (Manager, Physical Therapies), Penny Dayan (Physiotherapist), Gilian Niven (Soft Tissue Therapist), Scott Smith (Soft Tissue Therapist), Ebonie Scase (Physiotherapist), Zoe Horder(Personal Care Attendant)

Media coverage

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was the official Australian broadcaster. The ABC provided over 100 hours of free to air coverage and the average audience per day was 1.6 million people. The Australian Paralympic Team's Facebook page grew by 16,000 fans and its YouTube channel reached close to 474,000 views.

Welcome home celebrations

The team returned to Sydney Airport to be greeted by a number of Australian Government ministers, family, friends and the media. The team was treated to a performance by the band Icehouse. Congratulatory messages were from Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan, Minister for Sport Kate Lundy and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.