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2189-Sandra Graf photo

Sandra Graf

Swiss flag
Switzerland
Athletics
1
4

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
H4

Further personal information

Family
Daughters Melanie and Mara
Residence
Gais, SUI
Languages
German, English

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
She took up handcycling after competing in wheelchair racing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
Why this sport?
She took up handcycling as it was similar to wheelchair racing and allowed her to train with her husband at the time.

General interest

Hobbies
Skiing. (riglobal.org, 04 May 2019)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Sport is the best school of life. Nothing will work without discipline, fighting spirit, stamina or competition." (riglobal.org, 04 May 2019)
Awards and honours
She was named Swiss Paralympic Para cyclist of the Year in 2019. (plusport.ch, 01 Dec 2019)

She was Switzerland's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 06 Sep 2016)
Other sports
She competed in athletics at each Paralympic Games from 2000 to 2016, including winning a bronze medal in the T54 marathon at the Games in 2008 and 2012. (SportsDeskOnline, 18 Sep 2016)
Impairment
In 1991 she fractured her spine between the 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae and crushed her spinal cord after falling off the rings while gymnastics training. (sandra-graf.ch, 13 Dec 2010)

Results

Unit Date Rank
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 400 m T54 Heat 1 3
Women's 400 m T54 Final Round 8
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 2 5
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 2 6
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 8
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 7
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 5
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 2 2
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 10
Women's 5000 m T54 Heat 1 2
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 6
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 5
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 1 6
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 2 5
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 1 4
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 6
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 5
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 3
IPC Athletics World Championships Villeneuve d'Ascq 2002 (Villeneuve d'Ascq, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 3
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 3 4
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 2 3
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 7
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 3
2011 IPC Athletics World Championships (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T53/54 Final 2011-01-22 2
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 1 2011-01-24 4
Women's 800 m T54 Final 2011-01-25 6
Women's 1500 m T53/54 Heat 2 2011-01-26 4
Women's 1500 m T53/54 Final 2011-01-28 5
Women's Marathon T53/54 Final 2011-01-30 2
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T54 Heat 1 2012-08-31 5
Women's Time Trial H3 Final Round 2012-09-05 1
Women's Road Race H1-3 Final Round 2012-09-07 5
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 2012-09-09 3
IPC Athletics World Championships (Lyon, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T54 Semifinal 1 2013-07-20 5
Women's 5000 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-21 9
Women's Marathon T54 Final 1 2013-07-28 9999
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Time Trial H4-5 Final Round 2016-09-14 8
Women's Road Race H1-4 Final Round 2016-09-15 7
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 2016-09-18 8