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Contempt for Olympic wheelies
12 September 2003ORGANISERS of Sunday's Sydney Marathon have cancelled the wheelchair event, leaving two Paralympic champions without a vital race in their preparation for Athens.
Paul Nunnari, who was third in the Chicago and New York marathons last year, won the Sydney Marathon in 2001 and was using the 2003 race to prepare for Berlin in two weeks. "The worst thing is this decision was made with a complete lack of respect and it undermines us because it was made without consulting the athletes," Nunnari said.
Kurt Fearnley, who won the Sydney Marathon in 2000 and 2002, was the only other wheelchair entrant in the 42km event this weekend.
Athletics Australia said the introduction of the half-marathon to this year's race raised a safety issue. "We would have the two wheelchair marathoners catching up with the half-marathon stragglers," AA spokesman John Elliott said. Asked if cones, tape or barriers could be erected to separate the two wheelchair racers from the able-bodied runners over the latter stages of the course, Graeme Hannan from Frontier Sports - the event organiser - said it was not possible. "You don't know where the wheelies would catch them up," Hannan said yesterday. "We accept they are an integral part of events like this and it is a shame. But what we need to do - and I've made a commitment to do it - is get together at a later stage and work out what we need to do to put wheelies back into the marathon (next year)."
Andrew Dawes, who is the national track and road wheelchair coach and Louise Sauvage's coach, said it was disrespectful to Nunnari and Fearnley just one year out from the Athens Paralympics. The opening ceremony is on September 14, 2004.
"How many potential Olympic athletes are amongst the able-bodied runners? They told me 'none' and yet we've got two guys who will definitely be at the Games next year," Dawes said. "The worst thing: there was no consultation."
Nunnari and Fearnley only found out on Wednesday - four days before the race - that it was cancelled, when they rang to check on their race numbers. "It shows a lot of disrespect and contempt," Nunnari said. "Fair enough if you're going to cancel but at least tell the athletes."
Elliott and Hannan said the decision to cancel was made eight weeks ago. They said the athletes had put their entries in after the wheelchair race had been called off.
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