Australia at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
| Australia at the 2008 Summer Paralympics | |
|---|---|
| IPC code | AUS |
| NPC | Australian Paralympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| in Beijing | |
| Competitors | 167 in 13 sports |
| Flag bearers | Russell Short (Opening) Matthew Cowdrey (Closing) |
| Officials | 122 |
| Medals Ranked 5th |
|
| Summer Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
Australia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country sent 167 (95 male and 72 female) athletes in 13 sports (out of 20) and 122 officials. It was the country's largest ever Paralympic delegation to an away Games. The team sent to Beijing was described as the emergence of the new generation of Australian athletes with 56 percent of the team attending their first Paralympic Games. The delegation's chef de mission was Darren Peters.
Australia won 23 gold, 29 silver and 27 bronze medals. It finished fourth on the total medal tally and fifth on the gold medal tally. Major sporting achievements for the Australian team included:
- Matt Cowdrey, an arm amputee swimmer, winning five gold and three silver medals to be the Games' leading athlete.
- Peter Leek, a cerebral palsy swimmer, winning eight medals including three gold.
- Heath Francis, an arm amputee sprinter and Evan O'Hanlon, cerebral palsy sprinter winning three gold medals.
- Kurt Fearnley, a wheelchair racer, winning the marathon for the second time.
- Australian men's wheelchair basketball team winning gold.
- 98 Australian athletes won a medal.
- Australian athletes: 21 new world records, 31 Paralympic records, 79 Australian records and 164 personal bests.