Paralympian Tatyana McFadden wins Chicago Marathon wheelchair division on first try

From the Chicago Tribune:

Tatyana McFadden's (pictured) entry in the Oct. 11 Bank of America Chicago Marathon women's wheelchair division was originally intended as a training exercise.

But the 20-year-old University of Illinois sophomore might consider more marathons after winning in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 47 seconds on her first try.

"I really wanted to build a good distance foundation for the 800, and I'm thinking of adding the 1,500," said McFadden, already an accomplished wheelchair sprinter. "So I thought training for a marathon would help me in the long run for that."

McFadden edged four other racers in a final sprint, including a 2-second victory over runners-up Diane Roy and Amanda McGrory.

Among men's racers, Australian Kurt Fearnley claimed his third straight Chicago men's title in 1:29.09.

"I was pretty much on target for what I was expecting," said Fearnley, a two-time Paralympic Games world champion and the reigning wheelchair marathon champ in London and New York. "The cold made it a bit tougher, but I was happy with the result."

Japan's Masazumi Soejima was second in 1:30.58 and South African Krige Schabort was third in 1:34.28.

McFadden was declared the women's winner after a tracking chip mix-up initially gave McGrory her third straight Chicago title.

Race officials said there was an inadvertent switch involving McGrory's chair and that data and race video were reviewed before McFadden was declared winner.

"We (use) a chip timing system," said race director Carey Pinkowski. "When they were putting timing chips on their wheelchairs this morning before the start of the race, somehow one got switched."

McFadden's chair was not involved and she was unaware of the problems.

Born with spina bifida, McFadden was adopted from Russia, at age 6. She moved with her new family to Maryland where she got involved in athletics at a young age.

McFadden's first elite wheelchair competition came at age 15 at the 2004 Athens Paralympics where she captured silver and bronze sprint medals. She then won a gold medal and set a world record at the 2006 world championships.

At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, she claimed silvers in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter events and a bronze in the 4x100 relay.

She's part of a noted University of Illinois wheelchair and adapted sports program which traces its roots to the late 1940s.

American Chris Ayres won the hand cycle division in 1:32.43. Melynda Baker claimed the women's crown in 2:34.48.