Marathon Champ Fearnley Fearful of Track Rivals at London 2012

“Racing on the track is very different to the road. It involves quick decisions and no hesitations. You really have to rely on your instincts and it can be very explosive.”

World and Paralympic champion Kurt Fearnley has predicted that the winner of the T54 wheelchair marathon at the London 2012 Paralympic Games is also likely to medal in the shorter distances too.

According to the 30-year-old Australian, who is aiming to win his third consecutive Paralympic marathon gold in London, the 42.195km course features a number of turns which will suit racers used to short sprints. This could be good news for his main rivals such as Great Britain’s David Weir, who claimed three track world titles earlier this year, and Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, the world record holder for all track races from the 800m through to the 10,000m.

Fearnley said: “The London 2012 marathon course is not your traditional marathon route. It’s going to be hard work as it’s a lap course and I think there will be almost a dozen or more turns in one single lap.

“The person who wins will have to do 40 or 50 pick-ups from 20km/h to 30 km/h. To get a look in on the marathon I’m going to have to be really competitive in the 800m and 1,500m as there’s going to be a lot of surges in and out of bends.

“It’s different to any marathon that I’ve done before. The guy who wins the marathon I think will also medal in the shorter distances.”

To be in with the best chance of holding onto his Paralympic marathon title next year, Fearnley is also looking to compete in the 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m in London. In Beijing he completed the same programme winning silver in the 800m and 5,000m and bronze in the 1,500m.

Fearnley said: “Since Beijing I’ve pretty much just done road racing. It’s only now that I’m getting back to the track and over the next 12 months this will increase more and more in the lead-up to London.

“Racing on the track is very different to the road. It involves quick decisions and no hesitations. You really have to rely on your instincts and it can be very explosive.”

Born without the lower portion of his spine, Fearnley’s first Paralympic Games were in 2000 and saw him win two silver medals in the 800m and 4x100m relay in Sydney.

Four years later in Athens, the rugby league fanatic struck gold in the 5,000m and marathon and again took silver in the relay.

In 2006 he claimed three gold medals (800m, 5,000m and marathon) and one silver (1,500m) at the IPC Athletics World Championships in the Netherlands.

At the last Paralympic Games he successfully defended his marathon title, won silver medals in the 800m and 5,000m, and took bronze in the 1,500m.

His sparkling marathon form in major events continued earlier this year when he took gold at the IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand.