danny crates

March 30 - Paralympic gold medallist Danny Crates (pictured) has told insideworldparasport that despite the lure of competing in front of an ecstatic home crowd at the London 2012, he will not be making a return to the track following his retirement last year.

Crates, who received the honour of carrying the flag for Britain during the Opening Ceremony of Beijing 2008 Paralympics, suffered a horrific accident in 1994 whilst travelling and working in Australia which resulted in him losing his right arm.

Crates though, rebuilt his life in spectacular fashion by going on to become one of Britain’s most successful and recognisable Paralympians. Click to read full story

UKA MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                                                      12/07/09

Danny Crates, one of the UK’s most successful Paralympic athletes of the past decade is to retire this summer after one final race at the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on Saturday 25 July. 

Crates, who famously won 800m gold in the T46 class at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens was also the flag bearer for Team GB at the 2008 Games. Unfortunately, he was unable to defend his title when a calf injury ruled him out on the eve of competing in Beijing.

His return to international athletics was blighted this summer when a hamstring injury at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester in May forced him to pull out of the men’s T46 800m race when well placed with just 200m remaining. However, the 36-year-old can look back on a glittering career that has also seen him win World and European gold, as well as hold the world record in his class.

Danny Crates said: “The last two years have been tough for me. I had the massive high of carrying the flag in Beijing, followed closely by the massive low of not being able to compete. In the lead up to the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester this year, I had a hamstring injury and I probably made a comeback to racing a week too early.

“It was very disappointing and was the first time I have not finished a race in 10 years. The mind is willing, but I’m not sure that the body is anymore. I am going through a stage that every sportsperson has to face up to at some point. London 2012 would be a long shot for a 39 year old athlete and there isn’t another international championship open to me for another 18 months.

“I have always been hugely honoured to pull on a Great Britain vest. It means the world to me. I have had 11 years as an international athlete and it is not going to be easy to walk away. Of course as a middle-distance athlete, there are elements of the training that I won’t miss, but I have always loved competing.

“Ever since I began to think about retirement, I have always wanted to do it at Crystal Palace. As an athlete you get to travel and compete all over the world, but the true excitement comes in front of a home crowd. I know it will be very emotional with my family and friends present, but I cannot think of a better way of saying thankyou to all those who have supported me over the years.”

Looking back on his career, he picked out Athens as an over-riding memory. He said: “It was one that meant so much to me. To take that gold medal in a tough field in a tough class was so very special. To be able to turn to my family and friends in the stadium after I had been presented with the medal was simply a perfect moment in time and is something I will never forget.

“I will also be forever grateful to my coach Ayo Falola. I first joined him for training alongside Donna Fraser and Catherine Murphy and they really taught me what it meant to be an international athlete. I was a runner, but by the time Athens came around, I really felt like I was a proper international athlete. Ayo honed my skills and helped me become the athlete I was.”

Peter Eriksson, UKA Head Coach – Paralympics said: “Danny has had a brilliant career and has left an indelible mark on the sport here in the UK. He is hugely respected, not just as an athlete but as a man. 

“He has given an enormous amount to Paralympic athletics and I hope he will remain involved in the sport in some capacity as he still has a lot to offer. I wish him the very best for this final race at the Aviva London Grand Prix and hope the crowd there will give him the send off he so richly deserves.”

Tickets for the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace, London on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.uka.org.uk

Don’t quite know the best way to explain this one.  whist cross training on my bike (giving my hamstring a rest).  I came a cropper at a fair speed.  

The result was a nasty cut to my left knee and a fractured bone in the palm of my hand.  

OH JOY!!!!!

Well as I am sure many of you are now aware.  Beijing did not quite work out as planned.  After many months of battling injury I finally succumbed to a 2cm tear in my right soleous, ruling me out of the race I had worked so hard for.

Sadly all this came less than 24hrs after one of the biggest highs, and proudest moments in my career.  Carrying the flag, and leading Paralympics GB out into the opening ceremony.

It is hard to describe the emotions of the Opening Ceremony, it is something that as an athlete you dream of, that honor.  But whilst I enjoyed and cherished every moment, I had that 1% doubt in my mind.

 Just knowing how much I had been through, just to be there.

After I realized that I would not be able to compete, I took the toughest of decisions, I Left early and returned home.

So what now, well I am back in training and hoping to put the demons of Beijing 2008 behind me.  I have the small matter of going back after the 800m World record I held since 2004.  I do not believe a middle distance World record belongs in Poland!!!!!!!

When I last updated you I had just had another injection.  Well at first it did not seem that it had worked, then things started to progress.  Much faster than anyone could have imagined.

I did my first tentative grass jog on Sunday 27th July followed by another during the week.  I did my first track session since march on Monday 4th Aug., 2nd on wed 6th and raced on that Sat 9th, where I ran 1:59,  securing my place.  A very fast progression.

From then on training went from strength to strength and I improved with every session.  So much so that on wed 20th I ran my second race.  Clocking 1min 57.54sec, which showed that I was getting back and looking like I could once again dream of the medal.  All seemed well and I felt no pain.

I went for a run the next day and felt some pain in my achilies again, so rested ready for the flight on sun 24th.

Once I arrived in Maccau, sadly things got worse, the injury has re-appeared and I have been unable to run.  The medical team are working hard on me, and I have had a series of 3 injections again and another ultra sound scan.

The original plan to get some good training in has now gone.  although as always I am training hard, just not running, and as always I  have not given up the hope and dream.  The focus now is to get me on the start line, and able to run. They can put a local anasthetic in the area for the races, but, to do this for training would run the risk of injury, and I still plan to compete next year and further.

Not the build up I had hoped or dreamed of.  I can safely say that this has been the toughest season of my career and very hard to deal with mentally.

Believe me there can be no one more upset and hurt than me.  But it is not over yet, and I have not endured the last 5 months to give up just two weeks short. and I have not endured the last 5 months to not put up a fight in the race.

my races are on 14th and 15th sept.  I will keep you posted on how things progress and hopefully the 15th can shed some light over my season