The following articles were either created or expanded by me and featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know? section. I'm also a member of The DYK Hall of Fame.
2008
edit- ... that Paralympic gold medalist swimmers Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis are nicknamed the "golden couple" of disability swimming? (02:02, 23 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that athlete So Wa Wai was only able to compete at the 2008 Paralympic Games after being given a job by Cantopop star and actor Andy Lau that allowed him time to train? (08:07, 23 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that British swimmer Matt Walker has won eight silver and bronze Paralympic medals in individual events, but all three of his gold medals have come in the 4×100 m freestyle relay? (10:26, 26 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that British canoeist David Florence failed with an application to join the European Space Agency's astronaut training program before winning a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics? (16:15, 26 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that as well as being an Olympic competitor and World Championship bronze medallist in the multi-discipline sport of modern pentathlon, Katy Livingston also played netball at county level? (05:58, 27 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that Britain's Heather Fell, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist in modern pentathlon, had to work three part-time jobs in order to fund her training? (11:51, 27 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that British swimmer Heather Frederiksen won four medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympics after being told by doctors that she would never be able to swim again? (06:37, 29 September 2008 (UTC))
- ... that British equestrian Anne Dunham won her first individual Paralympic gold medal in the 2008 Games at the age of 59? (04:35, 3 October 2008 (UTC))
2010
edit- ... that Matthew Stockford won three bronze medals for Great Britain at the 1992 Winter Paralympics? (00:00, 10 March 2010 (UTC))
- ... that just £1500 of funding was available for the athletes of Great Britain at the 2002 Winter Paralympics? (12:00, 22 April 2010 (UTC))
- ... that Joan Horan won the first two gold medals for Ireland at the Paralympics? (00:00, 23 April 2010 (UTC))
- ... that Canada won the first Paralympic gold medal in wheelchair curling at the 2006 Games? 16:00, (30 April 2010 (UTC))
- ... that Tom Killin, a Paralympic silver medalist in wheelchair fencing in 1980, also won a silver medal in wheelchair curling for Great Britain at the 2006 Winter Paralympics? (00:00, 30 April 2010 (UTC))
- ... that "The Mighty Midget", Rodney Wilkes, won the first ever Olympic medal for Trinidad and Tobago at the 1948 Games? (00:00, 5 May 2010 (UTC))
- ... that British track cyclist Barney Storey won a gold medal at the 2008 Paralympics within an hour of his wife Sarah winning one? (00:00, 17 May 2010 (UTC))
- ... that British skier Russell Docker has competed at the Winter Paralympics on three occasions after being paralysed in a 1995 accident? (06:00, 17 May 2010 (UTC))
- ... that British shooter Matt Skelhon shot a perfect 600 out of 600 whilst winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics? (06:00, 27 May 2010 (UTC))
2011
edit- ... that boxer Adrian Dodson competed for Guyana at the 1988 Summer Olympics and for Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 24 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that nordic skier Peter Young won a bronze medal for Great Britain at the 1994 Winter Paralympics, ten years after winning his first Paralympic medal at the 1984 Games? (00:00, 25 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that four-time Winter Paralympic bronze medalist Matthew Stockford became the manager of Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott? (18:00, 25 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Steven Hallard and Richard Priestman were part of a team that won Great Britain's first Olympic archery medal in 80 years? (12:00, 26 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that visually impaired skier Richard Burt won four Winter Paralympic medals for Great Britain?(00:00, 30 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that despite being told by doctors that he might never walk again, British swimmer Graham Edmunds has won two Paralympic gold medals in world record times?(18:00, 30 April 2011 (UTC))
- ... that at the 2010 Games, skier Kelly Gallagher became the first-ever Winter Paralympian from Northern Ireland?(06:00, 1 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Sophie Christiansen, the youngest athlete for Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, won a bronze medal in dressage?(18:00, 1 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that at the 2008 Games, Helene Raynsford became the Paralympic's first ever rowing gold medallist?(06:00, 4 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that British Paralympic rowing gold medallist Tom Aggar was once part of the Saracens F.C. youth development squad?(00:00, 5 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Zipora Rubin-Rosenbaum has won Paralympic medals for Israel in athletics, swimming and table tennis?(06:00, 6 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that host country West Germany won the most gold medals at the 1972 Summer Paralympics, but the United States won the most total medals?(12:00, 6 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that in the men's decathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics, British athlete Daniel Awde set a personal best in the pole vault and had the fastest time of anyone in the 400 metres, but finished 21st?(18:00, 6 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Italian athlete Roberto Marson was proclaimed the outstanding athlete of the Games after winning 10 gold medals at the 1968 Paralympics? (12:00, 7 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that laser guns were considered as replacements for pistols for the modern pentathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics?(12:00, 12 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that, having won four gold medals in 2008, China is the defending champion in all table tennis events at the 2012 Summer Olympics? (18:00, 13 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that rowing events at the 2012 Summer Olympics are planned to take place 25 miles outside the host city of London, at Dorney Lake (pictured)? (18:00, 16 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Ukrainian-born Alexi Salamone, a gold medalist for the United States at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, was adopted by a family from Buffalo, New York, at the age of six? (01:15, 19 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that competitors in triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics will swim in the Serpentine, run in front of Buckingham Palace, and cycle through Wellington Arch? (09:00, 19 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Greek skier Antoin Miliordos crossed the finish line of the downhill event at the 1952 Winter Olympics backwards after falling 18 times? (00:30, 20 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that at the 2008 Games, Nick Woodbridge and Sam Weale became the first British men to compete in Olympic modern pentathlon since 1996? (00:00, 25 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Ethiopia, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Rhodesia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United States were among the 28 nations that competed in the 1968 Summer Paralympics? (00:00, 27 May 2011 (UTC))
- ... that the Swiss team at the 1960 Summer Paralympics included two athletes, but won four medals? (08:00, 1 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that gold medal-winning Paralympian Ron Stein trained with the Chicago White Sox before falling ill with polio? (08:00, 3 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that all five of the medalists for Argentina at the inaugural Paralympic Games were swimmers? (08:00, 6 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that Philip Craven, current President of the International Paralympic Committee, competed in athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball for Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Paralympics? (18:00, 7 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that the eighth place of Richard Kruse at the 2004 Games is the best Olympic result for any British fencer since 1964? (12:00, 16 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that British short track speed skater Sarah Lindsay, a three time Winter Olympian, missed 15 months of competition after rupturing a spinal disc in 2007? (12:00, 17 June 2011 (UTC))
- ... that after winning two medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, British equestrian Simon Laurens was named South West Disabled Sports Personality of the Year by the BBC? (00:00, 18 June 2011 (UTC))
2012
edit- ... that in 2008, Edwin Ekiring became the first badminton player to compete for Uganda at the Olympics? (16:00, 26 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Olympic shooter Georgina Geikie is nicknamed "Britain's Lara Croft"? (16:00, 27 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that in 2008 Chloe Magee became the first Irish badminton player to win a match in the history of the Olympic Games? (08:00, 28 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that swimmer Joseph Roebuck missed out on qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics by a quarter of a second, but is set to compete in three events for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics? (16:00, 28 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that John Garcia Thompson and Steve Grotowski are the first male beach volleyball players selected to compete for Great Britain at an Olympic Games? (00:00, 29 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz were selected for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics after Piggy French was forced to withdraw? (08:00, 29 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Annie Lush and sisters Kate and Lucy MacGregor, the Elliott 6m crew for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, are known as the "Match Race Girls"? (16:00, 29 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Olympic canoeists Lisa Carrington and Teneale Hatton were the first New Zealanders ever to qualify for an A final at the Sprint World Championships? (08:00, 31 July 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Olympian Temi Fagbenle was born in the United States to Nigerian parents but plays basketball internationally for Great Britain? (00:00, 2 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Olympic shooter Jonathan Hammond is the most successful athlete ever for Scotland at a Commonwealth Games, having won four medals in 2010? (00:00, 2 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Olympic heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson missed most of the 2010 season with jumper's knee? (16:00, 2 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that track cyclist Philip Hindes was born in Germany and did not take up cycling until 2008, but has been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 3 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Olympic shooter James Huckle took up the sport after his father bought a rifle to deal with a rat problem? (16:00, 3 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Antiguan Olympic sprinter Afia Charles is the daughter of Ruperta Charles, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 4 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Irish Olympian Caitriona Jennings achieved the qualifying standard for the 2012 Summer Olympics in just her second marathon? (08:00, 4 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Olympic steeplechaser Eilish McColgan is coached by her mother, Liz, a former world 10,000 metres champion?( 00:00, 5 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Brett Morse, slated to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, was the first Welshman to win the discus at the UK Championships? (00:00, 6 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Lucy Hall and Stuart Hayes were selected for the Great Britain team at the 2012 Olympics ahead of higher-ranked triathletes because of their ability to act as domestiques? (08:00, 6 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that in addition to being a competitive discus thrower, 2012 British Olympian Abdul Buhari works two days a week for investment bank Credit Suisse? (16:00, 6 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Vicky Holland, who competed in triathlon for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, only took up the sport in her second year of university? (16:00, 7 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 French Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner (pictured) was the first male judoka to win five world titles? (08:00, 8 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Olympic taekwondo competitor Jade Jones won Great Britain's first ever gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games? (16:00, 8 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Andrea St. Bernard is the first Grenadian taekwondo practitioner to be selected for an Olympic Games? (08:00, 9 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that sprinter Emily Diamond was selected for Great Britain's 4 × 400 metres relay squad at the 2012 Olympics despite having run the distance outdoors competitively only six times? (16:00, 9 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 Olympian Coolboy Ngamole won the South African Marathon Championships in 2010 and 2012? (16:00, 11 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that British hand-cyclist and defending Paralympic champion Rachel Morris may miss the 2012 Games after being hit by a car while training? (00:00, 22 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that footballers Scott and Martin Sinclair are the first brothers to represent Great Britain at the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year? (00:00, 26 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that former soldier Derek Derenalagi was pronounced dead in 2007, but is due to compete in the discus for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics? (16:00, 27 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Royal Mail painted a post box gold (example pictured) to commemorate each gold medallist for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 28 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that the British Paralympic table tennis player Will Bayley took up the sport whilst recovering from cancer? (16:00, 28 August 2012 (UTC))
- ... that adaptive rowers Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, James Roe and David Smith, alongside cox Lily van den Broecke, won a gold medal at the 2011 World Rowing Championships and have been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics? (16:00, 2 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that South African Paralympic swimmer Achmat Hassiem had his leg severed in an attack by a great white shark? (00:00, 5 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic footballer Ibrahima Diallo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after a physiotherapist saw him running? (16:00, 5 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic cyclist Mark Colbourne broke his back in a paragliding accident? (00:00, 6 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Wells was the first para-equestrian rider to win an international, non-disabled dressage competition? (08:00, 12 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic silver medallist archer Mel Clarke had to remodel her shooting style after Lyme disease caused her to lose her sight in one eye? (00:00, 13 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympian Helena Lucas was the only female sailor in the 16-boat fleet for the 2.4 mR event, in which she won her nation's first ever Paralympic sailing gold medal? (00:00, 14 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic medallist Stephanie Millward set the British record for the 100 metre backstroke at the age of 15, before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis? (16:00, 15 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Dedeline Mibamba Kimbata, a member of DR Congo's first Paralympic team, competed in a wheelchair donated by Kenyan Paralympian Anne Wafula Strike? (16:00, 16 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympian Jonathan Fox won the gold medal in the men's 100 metre backstroke S7 event after setting a new world record in the heats? (08:00, 18 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Canadian wheelchair basketball player Patrick Anderson retired in 2008 to become a musician, but returned to win his third Paralympic gold medal at London 2012? (16:00, 18 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that British para-equestrian Deborah Criddle and Figaro IX were the first rider and horse pairing to win three gold medals at consecutive European, World and Paralympic competitions? (08:00, 19 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 15-time Paralympic medallist swimmer Sebastián Rodríguez lost the use of his legs after going on hunger strike during an 84-year prison sentence? (16:00, 19 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 2012 British Paralympic swimmer Susie Rodgers won six medals at her first international meet? (16:00, 21 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that 15-year-old, 2012 British Paralympic swimmer Josef Craig set world records in both the heats and final of the 400 metre freestyle S7 event to win the gold medal? (17:18, 23 September 2012 (UTC))
- ... that Natasha Baker rode her horse Cabral to two gold medals in the 2012 Paralympics even though she has no feeling in her legs? (16:00, 15 October 2012 (UTC))
2014
edit- ... that I-Kiribati boxer Taoriba Biniati had never fought against a woman or in a ring before taking part at the 2014 Commonwealth Games? (14:04, 8 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that Jamaican Bobsledder Winston Watts (pictured competing) came out of retirement and raised over US$25,000 in Dogecoin to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics? (19:34, 12 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that more than 300 complaints were received about British slopestyle snowboarder Aimee Fuller's commentary on her own event at the 2014 Winter Olympics? (20:34, 12 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that cross-country skier Chris Klebl represented the United States at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Paralympics before winning a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Games? (00:04, 17 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that English sport shooter Mick Gault jointly holds the record for most medals at the Commonwealth Games, but has never been selected for the Olympic Games? (12:00, 17 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that Anna Schaffelhuber (pictured) won all five gold medals in para-alpine skier sitting events at the 2014 Winter Paralympics? (02:00, 18 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that British archer Sharon Vennard competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics despite being in constant pain due to osteoarthritis in her spine? (02:00, 19 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that Russian para-alpine skier Alexey Bugaev broke his arm at the 2013 IPC World Championships but went on to win two silver medals with his arm in plaster? (00:00, 25 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that German para-alpine skier Anna-Lena Forster (pictured) won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Paralympics by being one of the only two athletes to complete a race? (12:00, 27 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that Great Britain is one of the first three nations to qualify athletes for the 2016 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 31 August 2014 (UTC))
- ... that Kitty Chiller is the first woman named an Australian Chef de Mission, and in that capacity will represent that nation at the 2016 Summer Olympics? (00:00, 4 September 2014 (UTC))
- ... that world number one golfer Rory McIlroy has chosen to represent Ireland at the 2016 Summer Olympics and not Great Britain? (00:00, 10 September 2014 (UTC))
2016
edit- ... that American cross-country skiing coach Jon Kreamelmeyer was inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2014? (02:51, 1 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Paul Browne, a British former European champion Paralympic archer, was born with arthrogryposis? (14:36, 1 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that a team of refugees is expected to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics? (02:21, 2 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that the British modern pentathlete Joe Choong is studying for a degree in maths at the University of Bath? (13:06, 6 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Argentina, Thailand and Great Britain were the first three nations to qualify for the Team BC1–2 event in boccia at the 2016 Summer Paralympics? (00:51, 7 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Jacqui Kapinowski competed in wheelchair curling at the 2010 Winter Paralympics and has qualified to compete in rowing at the 2016 Summer Paralympics? (00:10, 11 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Iranian para-archer Zahra Nemati has qualified for both the 2016 Summer Paralympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics? (00:25, 12 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Eritrean-born Tsegai Tewelde, who sought political asylum in the United Kingdom, has been selected to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics for Team GB? (13:10, 14 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that South African rower Sandra Khumalo competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics just two years after taking up the sport? (13:40, 16 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Muhammad Ali has qualified to box for Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics? (01:25, 17 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Paralympic snowboarder Carl Murphy competes using a specially designed carbon fibre prosthetic leg? (12:40, 18 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Ryan Patterson is the first male South African gymnast to qualify for the Summer Olympic Games in over 50 years? (00:00, 26 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that after Mourad Laachraoui won a gold medal at the 2016 European Taekwondo Championships, the Flemish taekwondo federation dubbed him "Europe's king of the lightweights"? (12:00, 28 May 2016 (UTC))
- ... that U.S. Navy SEAL Faauuga Muagututia was a member of American Samoa's first Winter Olympic team? (11:28, 9 June 2016 (UTC))
- ... that Danish swimmer Pernille Blume was part of a team that set a new world record in the 4 × 50 metre medley relay at the 2014 World Short Course Championships? (12:00, 12 June 2016 (UTC))