PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 28, No. 6, Sept. 18, 2008

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UI athletes do well at 2008 Paralympics

Melissa Mitchell, Arts Editor
217-333-5491; melissa@illinois.edu

Not only was the UI well represented at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, but Illinois athletes were responsible for some of the games’ most exciting moments on court and track.

The U.S. Women’s Basketball Team, led by co-captain Patty Cisneros, head coach of the women’s wheelchair team at Illinois, brought home the gold. The team’s win Monday over Germany was its second consecutive Paralympics victory.

“This experience has been so incredible,” Cisneros said. “It was a little more difficult this time because we had such a big target on our backs and we rose to the challenge. There’s no better feeling than knowing you’re the best in the world. This is so amazing.”

The games’ closing ceremony took place Sept. 17. At Inside Illinois press time, other big UI winners included:

• Jessica Galli, who earned a gold medal in the 400-meter women’s track event, setting a new world’s record with her speed of 54.88 seconds. Galli also took it to the line in the 800-meter. Both she and China’s Hongzhuan Zhou clocked at 1:57.25, but after a photo-finish review by officials, Zhou was declared the winner, with Galli picking up a silver medal. Galli also earned two other silvers – in the 100-meter event, with a personal-best time of 16.88; and in the women’s 200-meter race.

• Amanda McGrory, who also set a world record in her gold-medal performance in the women’s 5,000-meter race. The Sept. 12 race is being called “the 5,000-meter rewind,” after officials disqualified results of the original event, on Sept. 8, when several athletes crashed on the track. McGrory placed third in that race. She also won the bronze in the women’s 800 meter.

• Anjali Forber-Pratt, who took home the bronze with her personal best of 57.07 in the women’s 400-meter competition.

Also, Joshua George, a recent UI graduate, earned a silver medal in the men’s 800-meter race, with a time of 1:37.09.

In addition to the many Illinois students, staff members and alumni who participated in the 2008 games, Jean Driscoll, a past Paralympics gold medalist, was selected as a member of the Presidential Delegation that traveled to Beijing to represent the United States.

More information on the UI participants, including links to some of the athletes’ blogs, is available on the College of Applied Health Sciences Web site.

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