Rheed McCracken

Rheed McCracken
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1997-01-20) 20 January 1997 (age 27)
Bundaberg, Queensland
Sport
Country Australia
SportAthletics
Disabilitycerebral palsy
Event(s)T34 – 100 metres
T34 – 200 metres
T34 – 400 metres
T34 – 800 metres
ClubBundaberg Athletic Club
Medal record
Men's para-athletics
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 100 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio 100 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 100 m T34
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London 200 m T34
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio 800 m T34
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 800 m T34
World Para Athletics Championships
Silver medal – second place 2013 Lyon 100 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2013 Lyon 200 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2013 Lyon 400 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2017 London 100 m T34
Silver medal – second place 2019 Dubai 100 m T34
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Lyon 800 m T34
Bronze medal – third place 2017 London 200 m T34

Rheed McCracken (born 20 January 1997) is an Australian Paralympic athletics competitor. He named the 2012 Junior Athlete of the Year as part of the Australian Paralympian of the Year Awards.[1] He represented Australia at the 2012 London Paralympics, 2016 Rio Paralympics, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where he won three silver and three bronze medals.[2] [3]

Personal

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McCracken was born on 20 January 1997,[4] and is from Bundaberg.[4][5][6][7][8][9] McCracken has cerebral palsy, a condition he was born with.[4][6] He started using a wheelchair in late 2009 because it was less painful.[6] He attended Avoca State School.[10] He later attended Bundaberg State High School.[4][6][11]He has completed a TAFE Certificate 3 in Community Pharmacy.

Athletics

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McCracken at the 2012 London Paralympics

McCracken is a wheelchair racer,[4][5] competing in the T34 class.[4] He competes in 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and 1,500 metres.[5]

He began competing in athletics in 2005,[4] and started wheelchair racing in 2010.[6] He is a member of the Bundaberg Athletic Club.[7]

McCracken at the 2012 London Paralympics

In 2008, at the Queensland 12 years and under Track and Field Championships, McCracken came in first place in the boys 11 years AWD 100m, 200m, long jump, shot put and discus events.[10] In 2008, he participated in the Pan Pacific Games in Canberra. He took home first place in the Athletes With a Disability (AWD) 11 years boys' 100m, long jump, shot put and discus events.[9] In 2009, he participated in the Queensland State Championships in the boys 12 years Athletes With a Disability long jump, 100m, discus and shot put events, winning every one of them.[8]

In 2010, McCracken competed in the Queensland Secondary Schools Championships, where he won the AWD boys 400m event.[11][12] That year, he also competed at the Queensland State Championships and the Australian National Championships.[12]

In 2011, McCracken made his Australian national team debut[4] During 2011, in preparation for the Paralympics, he completed six total training sessions a week.[6] He finished third at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon's wheelchair half-marathon in July 2011.[4][13] In 2011, he competed in Sydney's City2Surf event in the first year the event had an elite wheelchair category.[14] In December, he competed at the 2011 International Wheelchair and Amputee Championships in Dubai, where he won the 100 metre wheelchair racing event with a time of 16.86 seconds.[5][6][7] The time qualified him for the 2012 Paralympics as the qualifying time was 17 seconds.[5][6] Other events he competed in included the 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and 1,500 metres,[5][6] taking silver in the 400 metres, 800 metres and 1,500 metres events.[7] He was half a second slow in the 200 metres event from setting a Paralympic qualifying time.[6] Making his national team debut,[4] he was one of the youngest members of the Australian team at the event.[5][6] In December 2011, he participated in a national athletics team training camp in Canberra.[7]

McCracken receiving the award for 2012 Junior Athlete of the Year at the Australian Paralympian of the Year ceremony

In January 2012, McCracken participated in the Australia Day Series in Canberra,[7][15] where he finished second with a time of 24.38 in the junior race.[15] In January 2012, he trained in Sydney.[7] He later trained with Kurt Fearnley in Newcastle.[7] In January 2012, he finished second the Oz Day 10K men's junior division.[4][16] He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in athletics[4][5][17] in the 100 metre and 200 metre events.[4] He qualified for the Games in December 2011 as a fourteen-year-old.[5]

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics McCracken won a silver in the Men's 100 m T34 and a bronze in the Men's 200 m T34.[18] Competing at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, he won three silver medals in the Men's 100 m, 200 m T34 and Men's 400 m and a bronze medal in Men's 800 m T34.[1]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won the silver medal in the Men's 100 m T34 and a bronze medal in the Men's 800 m T34.[19]

At the Swiss National Championships in Arbon on 28 May 2017, McCracken set a new world record in the Men's 100m T34 with a time of 14.92.[20]

At the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, England, McCracken won the silver medal in the Men's 100m T34 (15.40 (+0.3)) and a bronze medal in the Men's 200m T34 (27.81 (-1.5)).[21][22]

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, he won his third world championship silver medal in the Men's 100 m T34.[23]

Australian athlete Rheed McCracken after the men's T34 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

At the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics, he won the silver medal in the Men's 100m T34. McCracken finished seventh in his Men's 800m T34 heat and qualified for the final. He came sixth in the final and failed to win a medal in this event.[24][25]

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, he won the bronze medal in the Men's 800m T34 and finished fourth in the Men's 100m T34.[26]

He is coached by Louise Sauvage OAM.[1][27][28]

World records

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Distance Time Location Date
Men's 100m T34 14.92 (+1.0) Arbon, Switzerland 27 May 2017
Men's 100m T34 14.80 Nottwil, Switzerland 26 May 2018[29]

Recognition

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "IPC13: O'Hanlon wins the Australian Flame their first GOLD". Athletics Australia News. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Australian Paralympic Athletics Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 2 August 2016. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Fearnley Protégé Among Newest Members of Australian Paralympic Team | Paralympics Australia". paralympic.org.au. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Rheed McCracken". Australia Paralympic Committee. 20 January 1997. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hegarty, Laura (5 December 2011). "Teen wheelchair athlete heading to Paralympics". Australia: ABC News. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vanessa Marsh (6 December 2011). "Bundy boy set for 2012 Paralympics". Bundaberg News Mail. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Vince Habermann (9 December 2011). "Paralympics within reach". Central Queensland News. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  8. ^ a b Habermann, Vince (30 October 2009). "Sporting action for the weekend of October 24 and 25". ABC Wide Bay Qld — Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  9. ^ a b Habermann, Vince (18 December 2008). "Local sporting action for December 13 and 14". ABC Wide Bay Qld — Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  10. ^ a b Habermann, Vince (24 September 2008). "Weekend sporting action for September 20 and 21 –". ABC Wide Bay Qld — Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  11. ^ a b Vince Habermann (22 October 2010). "Gold rush continues for athletes |". Bundaberg News Mail. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  12. ^ a b Vince Habermann (31 December 2010). "PFA award for Mitch". Bundaberg News Mail. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Sam's a champion on a roll Gold Coast Events | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia". goldcoast.com.au. 2 July 2011. Archived from the original on 6 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Wheelchair racers tackle City2Surf". Western Advocate. 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Kurt's record breaking Australia Day performance". Blayney Chronicle. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Straight eight has Fearnley eyeing Paralympic gold". Blacktown Sun. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Walters sprints for London — Teenager set for Paralympics debut". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  18. ^ "Rheed McCracken". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  19. ^ "Rheed McCracken". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  20. ^ "Lakatos, Cockroft and Ktila all smash world records". International Paralympic Committee website. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Wrap: Aussies in medals at Para World Champs". Athletics Australia News, 19 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  22. ^ Ryner, Sascha. "Photo decider sees O'Hanlon reclaim glory". Athletics Australia News. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  23. ^ "World Para Athletics Championships Dubai – Day 4 Recap". Athletics Australia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Rheed McCracken". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Para-athletics Stars Perris and Turner Secure Their Paralympic Passage to Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 17 April 2021. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Australian Athletics Results". athletics.possumbility.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Evan O'Hanlon claims second gold medal at the IPC World Athletics Championships". News Limited Network. 25 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  28. ^ "IPC13: Ballard wins third Silver". Athletics Australia News. 26 July 2013. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  29. ^ "Record-breaking day at Nottwil Grand Prix". International Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  30. ^ "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
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