SEASON 2016 may have been one of narrow defeats for Carcoar wheelchair racing ace Kurt Fearnley, but he still did enough to be named captain of the Australian Athletics Team of the Year.
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Renowned athletics commentator David Culbert named Fearnley in his team of the year as the nation’s best performed marathon racer.
At the Paralympic Games in Rio, Fearnley claimed the silver medal after Swiss ace Marcel Hug outsprinted him to the line.
Hug was to prove Fearnley’s biggest rival in 2016 as the man nicknamed the ‘silver bullet’ was brilliant over the 42.2 kilometre distance.
In April Hug won the Boston Marathon ahead of Fearnley (third), then backed that up a week later to beat the Carcoar native by one second in London.
In October’s Chicago Marathon Fearnley was declared the winner ahead of Hug, but a photo review of the finish saw the result reversed. It was just as close in November’s New York Marathon, but Hug again claimed the victory.
Fearnley’s only international marathon win for the year came when he contested the Tokyo race for the first time in February, while on home soil he took out the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
“I was about as consistent as I have ever been, but it has been the year of almosts,” Fearnley said of 2016.
“Consistency wise, I think it’s the most consistent year I’ve ever had. You look on aggregate over six marathons or so, I’ve come second by about a metre and a half or probably three metres over 200 kays, so I was always within striking distance.
“I got a win back in February in the Tokyo Marathon and in the shorter distances, I won the OzDay 10k. All the rest I was in striking distance, but just got beat on the line.
“I feel strong still, I don’t finish the year regretting anything.”
As well as being named Australia’s best marathoner in the Team of the Year, Fearnley also came close to getting the nod for two other events.
Culbert said Fearnley came close to the honours for the 1,500 and 5,000 metres, the latter in which he snared bronze at the Rio Paralympics.
“I hope Kurt will forgive me ... He did get a spot in the marathon and has been named team captain, so I hope so,” Culbert said.
Fearnley was delighted with his selection in the team which featured both able-bodied and para-athletes.
“Dave has obviously been pretty complimentary. He’s been around sport for a long time and been around athletics for a long time, so it’s a massive compliment for me,” Fearnley said.
“He’s given me a fair nudge there.”
