国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

PARALYMPICS / Newsmakers

Briton Rachel Morris: Hands-on, all the way
By Cui Xiaohuo
China Daily/The Paralympian Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-09-13 11:40

 

Strapped from the waist down, only her arms were free to pedal her bike - but it was enough.

Briton Rachel Morris rides to gold in the women's cycling road individual time trial HC A-C categories at the Beijing Paralympic Games September 12, 2008. [xinhua]

Briton Rachel Morris spun her way to gold in the women's individual time trial for handcycling in the HC A-C class Friday at the Beijing Paralympics.

"The course was fantastic to ride," said the 29-year-old athlete, who took up the event only two years ago. "It was technical, very fast. It was quite hard to climb, so that was a challenge. I did my best, and I am completely satisfied with this result. It's a dream come true."

Held in northwest Beijing, it was the second Paralympic appearance for the 12.7km road cycling event after it made its debut in Athens. Since it made its appearance nearly three decades ago, handcycling has opened a new vista for athletes with severe lower limb disabilities.

But the sport has its fair share of challenges, the main being severe discomfort.

"It's quite uncomfortable lying flat on the bike," seven-time Paralympian Heinz Frei from Switzerland told The Paralympian.

The 50-year-old athlete, who recently added handcylcing to his list of sport, now has 13 Paralympic gold, after triumphing Friday in the men's individual handcycling time trial for the HC B class.

American Oz Sanchez, who won the men's individual handcycling time trial for the HC C class, uses a kneeling bike, which means he has to sit on his knees while racing.

"It took me four to five months before I could get on my knees," said the veteran from the US Marines Corps. "It's a complete upper body workout. You have to use the biceps, neck and even your cheek muscles. Everything from the waist up is all part of it."

Some athletes like Germany's Dorothee Vieth, who won bronze in Morris' race, are lucky enough to be able to switch between a flat bike and a kneeling bike for different courses.

"I first tried lying down on this course, because it causes less wind (rushing) against me. But then my shoulders hurt too much, and I didn't know what the conditions would be here. So I went for the kneeling bike, which is more suitable for climbing roads," Vieth said moments after her race.

But despite the obstacles in the way, nothing prevents a true handcyclist from pursuing the sport, Sanchez said.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," he said. "If you want to be successful in any sport, it's not a matter of comfort."

Comments of the article(total ) Print This Article E-mail   Message Board
RELATED STORIES
尼玛县| 宁南县| 贵港市| 湘乡市| 博兴县| 江源县| 西青区| 井研县| 梅州市| 云和县| 涞源县| 宁南县| 德化县| 浑源县| 富源县| 周宁县| 宜兰县| 新兴县| 介休市| 林周县| 沛县| 玛纳斯县| 罗平县| 襄城县| 皮山县| 睢宁县| 黔西县| 正镶白旗| 南溪县| 凉城县| 临高县| 垣曲县| 常德市| 固原市| 东丰县| 云阳县| 藁城市| 芜湖市| 博罗县| 玛纳斯县| 新乡县|