U.S. PARALYMPICS: Galli Sets World Record at Swiss Series
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Two-time U.S. Paralympian Jessica Galli (Savoy, Ill./Hillsborough, N.J.) set a new world record in the women’s wheelchair (T53) 400m at the 2007 European Wheelchair Championships Swiss Selection Meet World Series, June 7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.
Galli finished the 400m race with a time of 55.82 defeating the previous world record set by Tanni Grey-Thompson of Great Britain with a time of 56.28 in 2003.
“I’m really excited and it’s a great honor,” said Galli. “I feel like it’s a confirmation of all the hard work I’ve been putting in over the last two years − I’ve been concentrating on the sprint and I guess it’s been paying off.”
On breaking Tanni-Grey-Thompson’s record, Galli said, “It’s a little bittersweet to break her record but I see it is a sign that we are moving on. She’s retired and the next generation is coming up.”
"Jessica has established herself among top racers in the world," said National Team coach Kevin Orr. "Jessica's performance speaks well of her preparations towards Beijing and is a good step with the Paralympic Games fourteen months away."
Galli will be competing at the 2007 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships, June 30-July 2 in Marietta, Ga.
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports' movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics website at www.usparalympics.org.
Colorado
Springs Students will join Olympians and Paralympians
to announce
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Alpine Skiier Martin Braxenthaler Wins Laureus Award 2007
Bonn, Germany - German Alpine
Skiier Martin Braxenthaler was named Laureus World Sportsperson of the
Year with a Disability at the eighth Laureus World Sports
Awards. The award was presented by Argentinian top model Valeria
Mazza and Laureus World Sports Academy member Franz Klammer at a
ceremony held at the Palau St Jordi in Barcelona, Spain.
Mr. Braxenthaler was an outstanding performer in Alpine Skiing at the
Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games with winning three gold medals
(Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G). As well in 2006, he was the winner
of the overall World Cup, the World Cup Slalom and was German champion
in Slalom and Giant Slalom. Amongst other honours, he was awarded
the Eurosport Sport Star Award in the category Best Male Athlete with a
Disability in 2006.
After winning the award, Mr. Braxenthaler stated: "I am really honoured
to receive this award today and I would like to thank everyone who has
helped me to achieve this." With his great experience Mr.
Braxenthaler has become a role model for younger athletes. His
knowledge and skills are the basis for other athletes getting better
and better.
Other nominees in the category for Laureus Sportsperson of the Year
with a Disability were Edith Hunkeler (Athletics, Switzerland), Esther
Vergeer (Wheelchair Tennis, Netherlands) Javier Ochoa (Cycling,
Spain), Kazem Rajabi Golojeh (Powerlifting, Iran) and Kurt
Fearnley (Athletics, Australia).
The prestigious Laureus World Sports honour the world's best sportsmen
and women and celebrate sporting excellence across all disciplines and
continents each year. The winners are selected by a jury,
including members of the Laureus World Sports Academy. The Awards
are bestowed in a range of categories, including world Sportsman and
World Sportswoman of the Year, World Team of the Year, World
Breakthrough of the Year, World Comeback of the Year, World
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and World Action
Sportsperson of the Year.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing
body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and
Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for
12 sports, for which it supervises and co-cordinates the World
Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to
enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to
developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from
the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote
the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination,
inspiration and equality.
Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit
organization formed and run by 162 National Paralympic Committees
(NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international
sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its
management team are located in Bonn, Germany.
For further information, please contact Steffi Klein, IPC
Communication Manager, on tel: +49-228-2097-230, e-mail:
steffi.klein@paralympic.org or go to: www.paralympic.org.
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