800 metres Wheelchair, Women

Wheelchair racing was held as a demonstration event on the athletics program at the Olympics from 1984-2004. The women raced 800 metres on the track with eight competitors. Louise Sauvage had won this event in 1996, and repeated in front of her home country fans. Sauvage was followed by Japan’s Wakako Tsuchida and Mexican Ariadne Hernández. Sauvage competed at the Paralympics between 1992-2004, winning nine gold and four silver medals. She would return in 2004 and place third in this event.

Tsuchida had a very interesting athletic career. She won medals at both the Summer and Winter Paralympics, in ice sledge racing at the Winter version, earning three golds, three silvers, and one bronze medal at the Paralympics overall. She also won the Boston Marathon five times consecutively, from 2007-11; won the Honolulu Marathon in 2003 and 2005, the Oita Marathon four times, in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003; and the 2010 London Marathon.