Women’s Wheelchair Preview: McGrory seeks London hat-trick
Amanda McGrory returns to defend her Virgin London Marathon title on Sunday 22
April full of confidence after winning the New York Marathon for a second time last
November.
The American made the most of perfect conditions last April when she took nearly
two minutes from Sandra Graf’s 2008 London course record. McGrory outsprinted
British record holder Shelly Woods by the narrowest of margins as four women beat
the old time.
McGrory will be aiming for her third London Marathon crown but it will be a tough
task against an extremely talented line-up.
The recently-married Woods will be out for revenge as she looks to regain the title
she won in 2007 just four months ahead of the London Paralympic Games, while
Graf also returns seeking another win for Switzerland after finishing second twice and
third in the last three years.
The 10-strong elite women’s field also includes Japan’s world champion Wakako
Tsuchida, five-times winner of the Boston Marathon, who will be going for her sixth
consecutive Boston victory just a week before this year’s London race. She won the
London title in 2010.
The four-time winner, Francesca Porcellato, is the last woman to successfully defend
a women’s London Marathon wheelchair crown but the Italian has been forced to pull
out of this year’s race with a back injury.
The Beijing Paralympic champion, Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, will also be missing
due to a lung infection. Hunkeler was fourth on her only previous London appearance
but she has a great marathon record with five wins in New York and Berlin to her
name.
The field does include McGrory’s US teammates Tatyana McFadden, a former
Chicago and New York champion who was fourth here last year, and Shirley Reilly,
three times the Los Angeles champion in recent seasons.
Diane Roy flies the flag for Canada; she was third in 2009.
McGrory and Woods will both appear at a press conference along with a number of
the London Marathon’s elite wheelchair racers at the Tower Hotel, London, on Friday
20 April.
Entries
Bib no
1
2
3
5
7
8
9
10
Name
Amanda McGrory
Wakako Tsuchida
Sandra Graf
Shelly Woods
Diane Roy
Shirley Reilly
Christina Schwab
Tatyana McFadden
Country
USA
JPN
SUI
GBR
CAN
USA
USA
USA
PB
1:39:20
1:34:06
1:35:44
1:37:44
1:40:09
1:40:26
1:41:02
1:45:03
Click the link below for the full Virgin London Marathon race week press conference schedule.
http://lrn.london-marathon.com/static/pdfs/Virgin_London_Marathon_press_conf_schedule.pdf