 2012 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Nicholson | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | (1970-06-30)30 June 1970 (age 55) |
Richard Nicholson (born 30 June 1970) is an Australian Paralympic powerlifter and athlete. He has competed at five successive Paralympic Games from the1996 to2012 Summer Paralympics. At the 2000 Games, he won a silver medal in the powerlifting Men's Up to 60 kg event. In athletics, at the2004 Athens Paralympics he won a silver medal in the Men's 4 × 100 m T53–54 event and at the2012 London Paralympics a bronze medal in the Men's 4 × 400 m T53–54 event.[1]
Nicholson was born on 30 June 1970 inSydney,New South Wales.[1] At the age of four he became ill and subsequently lost the use of his legs.[2] At the age of seven, he used a skateboard given to him by his parents to move aroundCanberra.[2] As of 2015, he was working as a sports consultant at theAustralian Sports Commission.[2] In February 2016, it was announced that Nicholson was being appointed to beingUniversity of Canberra 's second Athlete in Residence. This position allows him the opportunity to share his experience with University of Canberra students.[3]
Nicholson's first sporting activity was archery follow by gymnastics. Nicholson noted that gymnastics gave him a strong upper body and strong work ethic, particularly through theRoman rings.[2][4] He then took up powerlifting where he competed at the1996 Atlanta Games and finished eight in the 56 kg category.[1] He went on to win a silver medal in the 60 kg category at the2000 Sydney Games.[1] He also won a silver medal in the bench press at the2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.[1] He quit powerlifting because of the existence of doping. Ten powerlifters tested positive to drugs at the2000 Sydney Paralympics.[5]
After transferring to athletics, as aT54 athlete, he competed at the2004 Athens Paralympics in five events and won a silver medal in the men's 4 × 100 m relay T53–54.[1] He competed in four events at the2008 Beijing Paralympics with his best placing being fourth in the men's 4 × 100 m relay T53–54.[1] At the2012 Summer Paralympics, Nicholson participated in the men's 100 m T54, 400 m T54 and the men's 4 × 400 m T53/54 – winning a bronze in the 4 × 400 m.[1]
At the 2006IPC Athletics World Championships, he competed in five events at the 2011 World Championships ranging from 100m to the marathon but did not medal. At the 2013 World Championships, he competed in three events with his best result being fourth in the men's 4 × 400 m relay T53–54.[1]
He has competed in twoCommonwealth Games, finishing fifth in the men's discus F55–56 in2006 Games and seventh in the Men's 1500m T54 at the2014 Games.[1]
He regularly competes in major road races in Australia including theOz Day 10K Wheelchair Road Race andSydney's City to Surf where he won the Men's Wheelchair category in 2015.[5][6] His main T54 competitor in Australia isKurt Fearnley.[2] He has been an ACT Academy of Sport scholarship holder for nearly 2 decades.
Inaugural inductee toUniversity of Canberra Sport Walk of Fame in 2022.[7]
