Earle Connor

{{short description|Canadian Paralympic amputee sprinter|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Earle Connor

| image =

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| fullname =

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| nationality = Canadian

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|07|30}}

| birth_place = Castlegar, British Columbia

| death_date =

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| height = {{convert|173|cm|abbr=on}} (2008)

| weight = {{convert|66|kg|abbr=on}} (2008)

| country = {{flagcountry|Canada}}

| sport = Athletics

| event = 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, long jump

| club =

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| retired =

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| worlds =

| regionals =

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| olympics =

| paralympics = 2008 Summer Paralympics: 100 m T42 – Gold

2000 Summer Paralympics: 100 m T42 – Gold

2000 Summer Paralympics: 200 m T42 – Silver

| highestranking =

| pb = 60 m: 7.87 (2006, WR)

100 m: 12.08 (2008, WR){{cite web |title=Earle Connor breaks 100 m Amputee World Record... on his birthday |url=http://www.paralympic.ca/page?a=2135&lang=en-CA |date=2008-07-30 |publisher=Canadian Paralympic Committee }}

200 m: 26.40 (2006)

400 m: 1:07.32 (2006)

| medaltemplates =

| show-medals =

{{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}}

}}

Earle Connor (born July 30, 1976) is a Canadian retired Paralympic amputee sprinter. Connor holds several athletics world records in the class of T42, or above-knee, amputee.

During his career, Connor was banned twice for anti-doping rule violations.

Biography

= Early life =

Earle Connor was born July 30, 1976, in Castlegar, British Columbia to Dave and Diane Connor. Because he was born without a left fibula, his left leg was amputated above-the-knee when he was 3 months old.{{cite news |first=Dustin |last=Munroe |title=Beijing gold rush |url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=c6807121-77bd-4a1e-b455-ee3d4c7daa57 |work=The Star Phoenix |date=2008-09-03 |access-date=2009-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106004007/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=c6807121-77bd-4a1e-b455-ee3d4c7daa57 |archive-date=2012-11-06 |url-status=dead }} At the age of 9 months Earle was fitted with his first prosthetic leg.

Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, Connor played all available sports, excelling at hockey, tennis and baseball, and graduated from Rosthern Junior College. Connor was the first amputee ever drafted into the Canadian Junior Hockey system as a goaltender.

= Paralympic career =

Connor was inspired by watching television coverage of the 1996 Summer Paralympics to become an amputee sprinter with the goal of competing at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. At the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, he took gold in the 100-metre final, but finished second in the 200 metres when a misstep on the first corner cost him a few seconds.

He returned to the Paralympics in 2008, winning gold in the men's T42 100 m sprint and setting a new Paralympic record time of 12.32 seconds.{{cite news |first=Gary |last=Kingston |title=Paralympics: Redemption for Canada's Earle Connor as he cruises to sprinting gold |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=62517fd9-fdce-490c-b164-3338e3a5e0b3 |work=Vancouver Sun |date=2008-09-14 |access-date=2009-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106010911/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=62517fd9-fdce-490c-b164-3338e3a5e0b3 |archive-date=2012-11-06 |url-status=dead }}

Anti-doping rule violations

In 2004 Connor received a two year competition ban for after testing positive for nandrolone and testosterone, which caused him to miss the 2004 Paralympic Games.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sprinter-won-t-appeal-drug-suspension-1.467612 |title=Sprinter won't appeal drug suspension |work=CBC |date=29 September 2004}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/connor-ban-devastates-team/article1004342/ |title=Connor ban devastates team |work=The Globe and Mail |date=17 September 2004 |first=James |last=Christie}}

In 2015, Connor received a four year ban after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone and admitting he had been using it since 2012.{{cite web |url=https://athletics.ca/blog/2016/07/20/earlconnorsanctions/ |title=Athletics Canada and IPC announce Earl Connor sanctions |publisher=Athletics Canada |date=20 July 2016}} He had all of his results disqualified backdated to 2012.{{cite news |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1039830/banned-canadian-paralympic-sprinter-stripped-of-results |title=Banned Canadian Paralympic sprinter stripped of results |work=Insidethegames |date=21 July 2016 |first=Michael |last=Pavitt}}

Awards

1997: Canadian Disabled Athlete of the Year (also won in 1998 and 1999)
2000: {{strikethrough|inductee, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame}} *rescinded following positive drug tests{{Cite web|url=https://paralympic.ca/hall-fame-inductees|title = Hall of Fame Inductees | Canadian Paralympic Committee}}
2004: {{strikethrough|award winner, Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability}} *rescinded following positive drug tests{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1036298/two-time-paralympic-gold-medallist-banned-for-four-years-after-failing-second-drugs-test-of-career|title = Two-time Paralympic gold medallist banned for four years after failing second drugs test of career| date=10 April 2016 }}

References

External links

[http://www.paralympic.ca/page?a=238&lang=en-CA&profileId=37861&view=details Canadian Paralympic Committee – Profiles – Earle Connor]
[http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=3356 Earle Connor – Team Ossur]

Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Paralympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Category:Canadian amputees

Category:Paralympic track and field athletes for Canada

Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Canada

Category:Paralympic silver medalists for Canada

Category:Sportspeople from Castlegar, British Columbia

Category:Canadian male sprinters

Category:World record holders in para-athletics

Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics