eng brian mckeever bio - paralympic.caparalympic.ca/.../eng_brian_mckeever_bio.pdf ·...
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BRIAN McKEEVER DATE OF BIRTH JUNE 18, 1979 AGE AT SOCHI 2014 34 BIRTHPLACE CALGARY, ALBERTA HOMETOWN CANMORE, ALBERTA RESIDENCE CANMORE, ALBERTA HEIGHT/WEIGHT 1.75 M/ 75 KG DISABILITY TYPE CLASSIFICATION
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT B3
COACH ROBIN McKEEVER SKI GUIDE ERIK CARLETON TWITTER @brianmckeever LANGUAGES ENGLISH, FRENCH PARALYMPIC HSTORY VANCOUVER 2010, TORINO 2006, SALT LAKE CITY 2002 OLYMPIC HISTORY VANCOUVER 2010
Brian McKeever made history in 2010 when he was named to the Olympic and Paralympic teams. He did not start in the Olympic races in Whistler, but a month later he collected three gold medals at the Paralympics to add to his already impressive career haul. Overall in his career, Brian has earned 10 Paralympic medals in three Games, including seven gold. He has competed at every world championships since 2005 and won nine titles in addition to 21 World Cup wins. Brian overcame some big challenges heading into the 2010 Vancouver Games. In October 2008, he suffered a micro-‐fracture in his rib and in March 2009 broke his left humerus (upper arm) in a crash at the Canadian championships. In the following season after the 2010 Paralympics, he was repeat victor in the same three events in which he won gold in Vancouver at the world championships.
In 2012-‐13, Brian reasserted his dominance on the international stage with his new guide Erik Carleton. He captured the IPC Cross Country Skiing World Cup title for athletes with a visual impairment. He also shone at the 2013 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships, winning two more gold medals in the cross country long distance freestyle and sprint events.
Brian also races on the able-‐bodied and Para-‐Nordic World Cup circuits. One of his able-‐bodied competition highlights was a 21st place in the 15 km freestyle at the 2007 FIS World Championships in Sapporo, Japan. He was first overall in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 World Cup men’s blind rankings. At age 19, Brian was diagnosed with Stargardt disease (a macular degeneration or loss of central vision – fine detail and colour), which had also afflicted his father. “If you stare at the sun for a long time and turn away, you get these fuzzy spots. Well for me, the fuzzy spots don’t go away,” said Brian describing his vision.
PARA-‐NORDIC SKIING
One of his idols is U.S. distance runner Marla Runyan, who also has Stargardt disease. She competed at the Olympic Games in 2000 and Paralympic Games in 1992 and 1996.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2010 Paralympic Champion in sprint, 20 km freestyle, 10 km classic… 2006 Paralympic champion 5 km freestyle, 10 km classic … 2002 Paralympic champion in 10 km freestyle… Para-‐Nordic world champion nine times… World Cup winner 21 times.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT First athlete to be named to Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games team (2010).
PERSONAL
FAMILY: His brother Robin was a Nordic skier who represented Canada at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. Robin has also served as his guide, and is now a national coach in the sport… GETTING INTO THE SPORT: Started skiing at age three... Entered his first competitive race at age 12… Kaspar Wirz introduced him to the blind skier category of the Para-‐Nordic ski world… ODDS AND ENDS: Named Best Male Athlete at the 2007 IPC Paralympic Sports Awards…. Was the first Canadian athlete with a disability to ski in an able-‐bodied international event in 2007… Selected as the Canadian flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City…
NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS YEAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WORLD CUP PARALYMPIC GAMES
2013-‐2014 GOLD (CANADA) GOLD (CANADA) GOLD (GERMANY) GOLD (GERMANY)
2012-‐2013 GOLD – 20 KM (FREESTYLE) GOLD – SPRINT (CLASSIC)
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2011-‐2012 GOLD – SPRINT (NORWAY) GOLD-‐ 10 KM (NORWAY) SILVER – 20 KM (NORWAY)
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GOLD-‐10 KM (FINLAND) GOLD – 20 KM (FINLAND) GOLD – SPRINT (FINLAND)
2010-‐2011 GOLD – 10 KM GOLD – 20 KM GOLD – SPRINT
SILVER -‐ BIATHLON
2009-‐2010 GOLD – SPRINT GOLD – 20 KM FREE
GOLD – 10 KM CLASSIC 2008-‐2009 GOLD – 20 KM CLASSIC
GOLD – 10 KM FREESTYLE SILVER – BIATHLON SILVER -‐ SPRINT
GOLD – SPRINT (WHISTLER) GOLD – 10 KM CLASSIC
(WHISTLER)
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2007-‐2008 -‐-‐
GOLD – SPRINT (NORWAY) GOLD – BIATHLON (NORWAY) GOLD – PURSUIT (NORWAY) GOLD -‐20 KM (FINLAND) GOLD 10 KM (FINLAND)
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2006-‐2007 -‐-‐
GOLD – 5 KM CLASSIC (NORWAY)
BRONZE 20 KM FREE (NORWAY) GOLD – SPRINT (NORWAY) GOLD – 5 KM (NORWAY)
BRONZE – 20 KM (NORWAY)
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2005-‐2006 -‐-‐
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GOLD – 5 KM FREESTYLE BRONZE – BIATHLON GOLD – 10 KM CLASSIC SILVER – 20 KM CLASSIC
2004-‐2005 GOLD – BIATHLON 12.5 KM GOLD – 10 KM FREESTYLE GOLD – BIATHLON 5 KM GOLD – BIATHLON 20 KM
GOLD – 5 KM (NORWAY) BRONZE – 20 KM (NORWAY)
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2003-‐2004 -‐-‐
GOLD – 10 KM CLASSIC (GERMANY)
GOLD – 10 KM FREE (GERMANY) GOLD – SPRINT (GERMANY) GOLD 5 KM FREE (ORFORD) GOLD 20 KM FREE (ORFORD) GOLD – SPRINT (ORFORD)
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