Earle Connor

Earle Connor
Personal information
Nationality Canadian
Born (1976-07-30) July 30, 1976
Castlegar, British Columbia
Height 173 cm (68 in) (2008)
Weight 66 kg (146 lb) (2008)
Sport
Country  Canada
Sport Athletics
Event(s) 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, long jump
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals

2008 Summer Paralympics: 100 m T42 – Gold 2000 Summer Paralympics: 100 m T42 – Gold

2000 Summer Paralympics: 200 m T42 – Silver
Personal best(s)

60 m: 7.87 (2006, WR)
100 m: 12.08 (2008, WR)[1]
200 m: 26.40 (2006)

400 m: 1:07.32 (2006)

Earle Connor (born July 30, 1976) is a Canadian Paralympic amputee sprinter. Connor holds several athletics world records in the class of T42, or above-knee, amputee.

Biography

Early life

Earle Connor was born July 30, 1976 in Castlegar, British Columbia to Dave and Diane Connor. Because he was born without a left fibula, his left leg was amputated above-the-knee when he was 3 months old.[2] At the age of 9 months Earle was fitted with his first prosthetic leg.

Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, Connor played all available sports, excelling at hockey, tennis and baseball, and graduated from Rosthern Junior College. Connor was the first amputee ever drafted into the Canadian Junior Hockey system as a goaltender.

Paralympic career

Connor was inspired by watching television coverage of the 1996 Summer Paralympics to become an amputee sprinter with the goal of competing at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. At the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, he took gold in the 100-metre final, but finished second in the 200 metres when a misstep on the first corner cost him a few seconds.

He returned to the Paralympics in 2008, winning gold in the men's T42 100 m sprint and setting a new Paralympic record time of 12.32 seconds.[3]

Awards

  • 1997: Canadian Disabled Athlete of the Year (also won in 1998 and 1999)
  • 2000: inductee, Calgary's Sports Hall of Fame

References

  1. ↑ "Earle Connor breaks 100m Amputee World Record… on his birthday". Canadian Paralympic Committee. 2008-07-30.
  2. ↑ Munroe, Dustin (2008-09-03). "Beijing gold rush". The Star Phoenix.
  3. ↑ Kingston, Gary (2008-09-14). "Paralympics: Redemption for Canada's Earle Connor as he cruises to sprinting gold". Vancouver Sun.
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