Malone mixing it with the world’s best
Liam Malone is not just a Paralympic Games gold and silver medallist, he’s one of the best athletes in New Zealand.
The 22-year-old double amputee from Nelson has made headlines around the world after winning gold and shattering Oscar Pistorius’ previous Paralympics record in the 200m T44 final in Rio this week.
He also won silver in the 100m T44 and could yet add to his tally in the 400m T44, arguably his strongest event of all, which is scheduled to start on Thursday morning (NZ time).
As impressive as Malone’s late surge to claim silver in the 100m was, it was his blistering performance in the 200m that turned heads.
His record breaking time of 21.06sec at the Olympic Stadium smashed Pistorius‘ 2012 mark by 0.24sec and saw him cross the line 0.06sec ahead of runner-up Hunter Woodhall, from the US.
Malone’s time was almost a second faster than the winning time in the men’s 200m final at the national track and field championships in Dunedin earlier this year, and only three Kiwi sprinters have clocked faster times over 200m than Malone all year.
Waikato’s Joseph Millar has the fastest time (20.77sec), while Malone’s coach, James Mortimer (20.92sec), and Aucklander Hamish Gill (21.05sec) have also gone faster.
Malone’s time is also the 18th fastest time over 200m by a New Zealander in history, while his 10.90sec personal-best in the 100m heats was the 13th fastest time over 100m by a Kiwi this year.
‘‘He’s right up there,’’ Athletics New Zealand sprints and relay coordinator Kerry Hill said. ‘‘So that’s pretty exciting, he ran quite a big PB in Rio, so he’s in good shape, obviously.’’
Hill said it was ‘‘spectacular’’ for Malone to be right in the mix with able-bodied athletes, particularly because carbon fibre running blades made it difficult to start fast due to having a lack of balance.
But Hill was also impressed with Malone’s performance over 100m, when he used a rapid finish to snare silver in 11.02sec.
‘‘I would love to see the figures they will be around soon - of the times of what everybody ran in the 10m segments of the 100m, and to check his last 20m with the last 20m of the able-bodied 100m Olympic finalists.
‘‘I think he would compare very, very well in that last 20m at top speed.’’
Regardless, it’s been a spectacular rise to Paralympic stardom for Malone, who just a few years ago had to crowd fund to purchase his $20,000 carbon fibre running blades.
He has made headlines around the world, including on CNN and BBC, and is internationally being recognised as being faster than Pistorius, the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games (2012).
Like Pistorius, Malone was born with fibular hemimelia in both his legs, where part or all of his fibula bone is missing. Both legs were amputated below the knee when he was just 18 months old.
Malone has captured the hearts of the nation the past few days.
His silver medal in the 100m coincided with what would have been his late mother’s birthday. She died of cancer four years ago.
After claiming his first medal, Malone called the fact it was on his mother’s birthday the ‘‘coolest’’ part of winning silver.
Malone, who was schooled at Nayland College in Nelson, battled depression after his mother died. That, along with balancing training with studying at Canterbury University, meant his preparations for Rio weren’t all plain sailing.
‘‘I was in such a bad mental state. I wasn’t very happy where I was and I needed something to put me on the path to somewhere. This just happened to be it,’’ Malone said earlier this week when explaining his challenges in overcoming his mother’s death.
Malone is a proud Nelson athlete. His grandfather, Peter Malone, was Nelson’s Mayor between 1980-1992 and ran the first flying vet service in New Zealand. He died in 2006 when Liam was 12.
Before Rio, Malone had hinted at giving up track after the Paralympics, but a string of brilliant results, and perhaps the challenge of attempting to qualify for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, might keep him going.
But for now, he has the 400m T44 to keep him occupied. A podium finish will see him reach his pre-games goal of medalling in all three events,