Simon Richardson
Encyclopedia
Simon Richardson MBE
(born 10 November 1966) is a Welsh
paralympic cyclist
.
, Wales
, and is the son of John and Diana Richardson. He is married to Amanda and has two sons Ashley and Benjamin. In 2001 he was involved in a car accident which left him with serious leg
and back
injuries and no feeling down his left hand side. Prior to his accident Richardson was a keen cyclist, but he stopped cycling until 2005 when his doctors advised him to start training again to help his rehabilitation. Richardson cycled powered only by his right leg, riding an adapted bike. He made his debut in the Welsh national team in 2006, competing at the Welsh Grand Prix and entered the road race and time trial, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. He later competed at the Para-Cycling Europa Cup held in 2007 which was held in Germany
where he placed seventh. Richardson is coached by Courtney Rowe and trains at the Wales National Velodrome, which is situated in the Newport International Sports Village
. His development is organised through the Disability Sport Wales Performance Programme.
It was announced on 31 December 2008 that Richardson was to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours
"[f]or services to Disabled Sport".
In August 2011, Richardson was injured when struck by a hit and run
driver, whilst he was cycling on the A48 between Cowbridge
and Bridgend
, South Wales. He was described as being in "critical condition", with "fractures to the spine
, a broken pelvis, a broken breast bone, cuts to his legs, and a "detached" lung
". The injuries meant that he was unlikely to be able to compete at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
in London, despite having been "a very top contender to be considered" for the Games.
held in Beijing
, China
, initially in the LC 3–4 class kilo
, finishing in a world record
time of 1 minute 14.936 seconds. This time secured the gold medal
and was his first win in a major event. Richardson later competed in the LC3–4 3km individual pursuit, finishing in 3 minutes 49.214 seconds which secured his second gold medal of the games. The LC3–4 class is for athletes with lower limb disabilities, which may affect one, or both of the lower limbs. Richardson went on to take the Silver medal in the LC3 class road time trial in a time of 38 minues 23.73 seconds, 23.42 seconds behind gold medallist Laurent Thirionet. He also competed in the mens individual road race on 13 September 2008, finishing in tenth place.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 10 November 1966) is a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
paralympic cyclist
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
.
Biography
Richardson was born in 1966 in PorthcawlPorthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and is the son of John and Diana Richardson. He is married to Amanda and has two sons Ashley and Benjamin. In 2001 he was involved in a car accident which left him with serious leg
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
and back
Human back
The human back is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck and the shoulders. It is the surface opposite to the chest, its height being defined by the vertebral column and its breadth being supported by the ribcage and shoulders...
injuries and no feeling down his left hand side. Prior to his accident Richardson was a keen cyclist, but he stopped cycling until 2005 when his doctors advised him to start training again to help his rehabilitation. Richardson cycled powered only by his right leg, riding an adapted bike. He made his debut in the Welsh national team in 2006, competing at the Welsh Grand Prix and entered the road race and time trial, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. He later competed at the Para-Cycling Europa Cup held in 2007 which was held in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he placed seventh. Richardson is coached by Courtney Rowe and trains at the Wales National Velodrome, which is situated in the Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village
Newport International Sports Village is an area of multiple sport facilities, located in the southeast of Newport, Wales, near the A48 Southern Distributor Road. It is known locally as Spytty Park, the name coming from the original Spytty Fields on which it is built.The village includes the Wales...
. His development is organised through the Disability Sport Wales Performance Programme.
It was announced on 31 December 2008 that Richardson was to be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours
New Year Honours 2009
The New Year Honours 2009 principally for the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 31 December 2008, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2009....
"[f]or services to Disabled Sport".
In August 2011, Richardson was injured when struck by a hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
driver, whilst he was cycling on the A48 between Cowbridge
Cowbridge
Cowbridge is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, approximately west of Cardiff. Cowbridge is twinned with Clisson in the Loire-Atlantique department in northwestern France.-Roman times:...
and Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, South Wales. He was described as being in "critical condition", with "fractures to the spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
, a broken pelvis, a broken breast bone, cuts to his legs, and a "detached" lung
Human lung
The human lungs are the organs of respiration in humans. Humans have two lungs, with the left being divided into two lobes and the right into three lobes. Together, the lungs contain approximately of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about in...
". The injuries meant that he was unlikely to be able to compete at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
in London, despite having been "a very top contender to be considered" for the Games.
2008 Beijing Paralympic Games
Richardson competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, initially in the LC 3–4 class kilo
Cycling at the 2008 Summer Paralympics - Men's 1km time trial (LC 3–4)
The Men's 1 km time trial at the 2008 Summer Paralympics took place on 7 September at the Laoshan Velodrome.The world records for both LC3 and LC4 categories were broken during the event. Simon Richardson set a new record of 1:14.936 for the LC3 class and Greg Ball set a new record of...
, finishing in a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
time of 1 minute 14.936 seconds. This time secured the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
and was his first win in a major event. Richardson later competed in the LC3–4 3km individual pursuit, finishing in 3 minutes 49.214 seconds which secured his second gold medal of the games. The LC3–4 class is for athletes with lower limb disabilities, which may affect one, or both of the lower limbs. Richardson went on to take the Silver medal in the LC3 class road time trial in a time of 38 minues 23.73 seconds, 23.42 seconds behind gold medallist Laurent Thirionet. He also competed in the mens individual road race on 13 September 2008, finishing in tenth place.
See also
- Cycling at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsCycling at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsCycling at the 2008 Summer Paralympics consisted of 44 events in two main disciplines, track cycling and road cycling. Track cycling was held in Laoshan Velodrome from September 7 to September 10, and road cycling took place at the Changping Triathlon Venue from September 12 to September...
- Great Britain at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsGreat Britain at the 2008 Summer ParalympicsGreat Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games...
- Sport in WalesSport in WalesThe most popular sports in Wales are rugby union and football. Like the other countries of the United Kingdom, Wales enjoys independent representation in major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games, but competes as part of England in cricket...