Marathon Champ Fearnley Excited About Weir Rivalry for London 2012

“I know Huggy Bear (Switzerland’s Marcel Hug) hit some huge form last year breaking five world records so he’s really going to be going for it in London, but so am I.”

Double Paralympic marathon champion Kurt Fearnley says he is excited about racing his closest rival David Weir on his home soil at next year’s Paralympic Games in London.

Having competed in the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, proud Australian Fearnley knows just how special it is to compete in a home Games and has warned Weir not to expect everything his own way in 2012.

Fearnley said: “I know London 2012 is going to be something special for Dave as it’s his home Games. Back in Sydney I know how much it meant to me to be racing in front of my home crowd with all my friends and family there.

“He’s going to have some fierce competition in 2012 and not just from myself but through all the boys.

“I know Huggy Bear (Switzerland’s Marcel Hug) hit some huge form last year breaking five world records so he’s really going to be going for it in London, but so am I.”

In London Fearnley is looking to compete in all track events from 800m through to 5,000m, as well as the marathon, an event he won gold in earlier this year at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In London the 30-year-old world champion will face stiff competition for the marathon title against Weir, a man who has won the annual London event on a record five occasions.

Although the T54 wheelchair racing class which Fearnley and Weir compete in is arguably the most competitive in Paralympic Sport, the Australian says the intense rivalry is isolated just to the track.

Kurt Fearnley said: “There is a rivalry between us on the track, but off it we’re pretty good mates. I think me and Dave have probably has the most competitive relationships over the last six years, yet off the track we’re good friends.

“If we’re all competing away somewhere we’ll hang out together. We’ll go for a casual roll together, eat dinner together and spend time with his coach and family and vice versa.

“Although we may be friends off the track, in competition when we’re on the track it’s very different. A couple of the other racers would probably send me to the kerb as much as race me, but all in all they are pretty good fellows.”