Paralympics: Racer to hang up gloves

By GREG ANSLEY

SYDNEY - New Zealand wheelchair racer Ben Lucas, still one of the fastest men ever on three wheels, has announced his retirement from the sport.

The Christchurch racer holds the second-fastest time in the world over 5000m, and the third-fastest time over 10,000km.

Lucas finished 13th in the T54 Paralympic marathon yesterday, four places behind team-mate Gavin Foulsham over a circuit that ran through the hills of Sydney to the harbour bridge and back to Olympic Stadium.

"That's it for me," said 36-year-old Lucas, of Christchurch. "I'm hanging up my gloves and retiring.

"It's been a good 10 years [of racing] and I've achieved a lot. But now, I'm going to have a life.

"When I go away on holiday I can leave this [racing chair] behind - I've got plenty to do."

Lucas, who also raced two 10,000m and two 5000m events last week, said he was 20kg heavier than many of the other racers and had fallen back on the hills yesterday.

"Oh man, that last 12km was really hard - hill, after hill, after hill."

Foulsham, a 29-year-old Aucklander, had raced nine semifinals and finals - over 400m, 800m and 5000m - before competing yesterday. He stayed with the leading pack for much of the way in what was a bonus top-10 placing.

"That was fun, so much fun," he said. "I climbed really well - I knew I could get up them - and sailing down them was just magic, coming off the Sydney Harbour Bridge and hitting 55 km/h.

"I came here to do the 800m and 5000m ... and to finish in the top 10 of the marathon - I'm over the moon."

Franz Nietlispach, of Switzerland, won the marathon in 1h 24m 55s, ahead of South Africa's Krige Schabort and fellow Swiss Heinz Frei.

Foulsham finished in a season's best of 1m 33m 7s, and Lucas in 1h 34m 53s. Dave Collie, of Christchurch, was placed 12th in the T46 marathon.

Click here for Herald Online Olympic/Paralympic News