Cycling’s Kevin McIntosh and Peter Homann were today inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame in Beijing.
They were among five Paralympians honoured by the International Paralympic Committeee based on their athletic performance, history of fair play and participation in community service.
Homann, from Victoria, competed in three consecutive Paralympic Games, winning both gold and silver medals.
In Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, he won the gold medal for the Mixed Bicycle Road Race CP (cerebral palsy). In Athens, four years later, he picked up the gold in the Team Sprint event and the silver in the 3,000m men's Individual Pursuit Bicycle CP.
Successfully competing in events before and in between the Games in Belgium and the USA, he was also Team Captain for the Australian Paralympic Cycling Team. Homann is the athlete's representative on the Cycling Australia Athletes' Commission.
McIntosh, from South Australia, led his athletes in collecting a total of 10 gold medals as well as several silver and bronze medals each in Sydney and in Athens. McIntosh received the award for Australian Paralympic Committee Coach of the Year in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
He has been committed to the development of athletes with a disability throughout Australia to ensure the success of its Paralympic Cycling Team.
The President of the Australian Paralympic Committee, Greg Hartung, congratulated both men on their achievement, saying they had made a massive commitment to the development sand profile of their sport in Australia and internationally.
The other inductees today were Andre Viger (Canada), Claudia Hengst (Germany) and Connie Hansen (Denmark).
To be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, athlete and coach candidates must have participated in at least two Paralympic Games and must have won a number of medals, either directly or, in the case of a coach, through the athlete(s) or team(s) they trained.
An athlete or coach must have ceased to be an active participant in the Paralympic Games for at least four years, or one Paralympic cycle, prior to the year of election.