Wheel Blacks
Encyclopedia
The Wheel Blacks are the national wheelchair rugby
team of New Zealand
. The team won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
. The 2008 Wheel Blacks were captained by Tim Johnson
and coached by Grant Sharman. Since 2009, the team is coached by Greg Mitchell.
Johnson captained the Wheel Blacks at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
in Beijing
, although the team finished third in their group, salvaging fifth overall in the consolation matches.
Wheelchair rugby
Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
team of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The team won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
. The 2008 Wheel Blacks were captained by Tim Johnson
Tim Johnson (Wheelchair Rugby)
Tim Johnson is a past Captain of the Wheel Blacks, the New Zealand wheelchair rugby team.He has been a member of all New Zealand teams since 1998, including the gold medal-winning team at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and the bronze medal-winning team at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney...
and coached by Grant Sharman. Since 2009, the team is coached by Greg Mitchell.
Johnson captained the Wheel Blacks at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, although the team finished third in their group, salvaging fifth overall in the consolation matches.