Liam Malone
{{short description|New Zealand para-athlete (born 1993)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Liam Malone
|honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=100%}}
|image = Liam Malone (cropped).jpg
|caption = Malone in 2017
|birth_name = Liam Bevan Malone
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|12|23|df=y}}
|birth_place = Nelson, New Zealand
|relatives =Peter Malone (grandfather)
{{nowrap|Robert Trimble (3×great-grandfather)}}
Abel Heywood (4×great-grandfather)
William Malone (3×great-uncle)
|height=
|country = New Zealand
|sport = Athletics
|disability_class = T43
|club = Athletics Nelson
|coach = Brodie Hewlett (2014–2016)
James Mortimer (2016–2017)
|pb =
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's para athletics}}
{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Summer Paralympics}}
{{MedalGold|2016 Rio de Janeiro|200 metres T44}}
{{MedalGold|2016 Rio de Janeiro|400 metres T44}}
{{MedalSilver|2016 Rio de Janeiro|100 metres T44}}
}}
Liam Bevan Malone {{postnominals|country=NZL|MNZM}} (born 23 December 1993) is a former New Zealand para-athlete, primarily competing in sprint events. He represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he won gold medals in the men's 200 metres T44{{cite web |url= https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM244101_Results_2016_09_12_1d26bcae_ab11_40db_bd88_627ae25c7104.pdf |title= Results -- Men's 200 metres T44 -- Rio 2016 Paralympic Games |publisher= International Paralympic Committee |accessdate= 13 September 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160921145643/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM244101_Results_2016_09_12_1d26bcae_ab11_40db_bd88_627ae25c7104.pdf |archive-date= 21 September 2016 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }} and 400 metres T44,{{cite web |url= https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM444101_Results_2016_09_15_0d6361b2_8620_4927_a4a2_7b9589529436.pdf |title= Results -- Men's 400 metres T44 -- Rio 2016 Paralympic Games |publisher= International Paralympic Committee |accessdate= 15 September 2016 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160921173853/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM444101_Results_2016_09_15_0d6361b2_8620_4927_a4a2_7b9589529436.pdf |archivedate= 21 September 2016 }} and the silver medal in the men's 100 metres T44.{{cite web |url= https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM144101_Results_2016_09_09_0ebaf9ad_e97d_4744_aa6c_6731cec5825e.pdf |title= Results -- Men's 100 metres T44 -- Rio 2016 Paralympic Games |publisher= International Paralympic Committee |accessdate= 10 September 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160921131713/https://smsprio2016-a.akamaihd.net/_odf-documents/A/T/ATM144101_Results_2016_09_09_0ebaf9ad_e97d_4744_aa6c_6731cec5825e.pdf |archive-date= 21 September 2016 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}
Personal life
Malone was born in Nelson, the son of Murray Robert Malone and Trudi Scott. He grew up in the suburb of Stoke and was educated at Nayland College.{{cite news |first= Phillip |last= Rollo |date= 12 September 2016 |title= Stoke it up! Paralympic Games sprinter Liam Malone's hometown shout out |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84146207/stoke-it-up-paralympic-games-sprinter-liam-malones-hometown-shout-out |publisher= Stuff.co.nz |accessdate= 13 September 2016}} He is the grandson of Peter Malone, who served as the mayor of Nelson from 1980 to 1992. He is also the great-great-great-grandson of Robert Trimble, a 19th-century member of the New Zealand Parliament, and the great-great-great-great-grandson of Abel Heywood, who served two separate terms as mayor of Manchester in the 1860s and 1870s. Malone is also the great-great-great-nephew of Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone, who commanded the Wellington Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli.{{cite web |url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kitwithers/malone/malone.html |title=The family of Lt. Colonel William Malone |date=14 September 2016 |website= |publisher= |accessdate=2 October 2016}}
Malone was born with fibular hemimelia (congenital absence of the fibula bone) in both legs. As a result, his legs were amputated just above his ankles when he was 18 months old.{{cite web |title= Legless Liam Malone is blade-running to Rio |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/10687650/Legless-Liam-Malone-is-blade-running-to-Rio |date= 1 November 2014 |publisher= Stuff.co.nz |accessdate= 13 September 2016}}
Career
As a double below-knee amputee, Malone is classified T43 for running events. His maximum permitted standing height on prosthetics is {{convert|1.877|m|ftin|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |title= Classification Master List, Summer Season 2016 – New Zealand |url= https://db.ipc-services.org/sdms/web/cml/at/html/season/S16/npc/NZL |publisher= IPC Athletics |accessdate= 16 September 2016}}
Malone was officially selected to represent New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics on 23 May 2016.{{cite news |title= Paralympics New Zealand name six track and field athletes for Rio |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/80267284/paralympics-new-zealand-name-six-track-and-field-athletes-for-rio |date= 23 May 2016 |publisher= Stuff.co.nz |accessdate= 5 June 2016}} At the Paralympics, he won the silver medal in the men's 100 metres T44, and the gold medals in the men's 200 metres T44 and men's 400 metres T44. His two gold medals were achieved in Paralympic record time, taking the records from disgraced South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius.{{cite news |title= Oscar Pistorius record smashed by NZ's Liam Malone at Rio Games |url= http://www.itv.com/news/2016-09-13/oscar-pistorius-record-smashed-by-nzs-liam-malone-at-rio-games/ |date= 13 September 2016 |publisher= ITV News |accessdate= 3 October 2016}}{{cite news |first= Joseph |last= Pearson |date= 16 September 2016 |title= Rio Paralympics: Liam Malone breaks another Oscar Pistorius record to win 400m T44 |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84323698/Rio-Paralympics-Liam-Malone-breaks-another-Oscar-Pistorius-record-to-win-400m-T44 |publisher= Stuff.co.nz |accessdate= 3 October 2016}}
Malone was selected as New Zealand's flag bearer for the 2016 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony.{{cite news |title= Rio Paralympics: Liam Malone to carry flag for New Zealand at closing ceremony |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/84385167/rio-paralympics-liam-malone-to-carry-flag-for-new-zealand-at-closing-ceremony |date= 18 September 2016 |publisher= Stuff.co.nz |accessdate= 18 September 2016}} He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2017 New Year Honours, for his services to athletics.{{cite web |title= New Year Honours List 2017 |url= https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/lists/ny2017-list |publisher= Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |date= 31 December 2016 |accessdate= 31 December 2016}}
Malone announced his retirement from athletics in January 2018.{{cite news | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11972148 | title=Paralympian Liam Malone announces retirement | date=9 January 2018 | work=New Zealand Herald | accessdate=9 January 2018}}
Malone began working in Artificial Intelligence start-up Soul Machines immediately after retirement. The company is led by Oscar Award winner Dr Mark Sagar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/100518641/Retired-paralympian-Liam-Malone-swaps-the-track-for-career-in-technology.html|title=Retired paralympian Liam Malone swaps the track for career in technology|website=Stuff|language=en|access-date=2018-11-07}}
Malone is also a popular keynote speaker and is represented by Celebrity Speakers New Zealand.[https://www.celebrityspeakers.co.nz]
Personal bests
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" |
| Event
! Result (wind) ! Date ! Location ! Notes |
|---|
| 100 m (T43)
| 10.90 (+0.9 m/s) | 8 September 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 200 m (T43)
| 21.06 (+0.6 m/s) | 12 September 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | {{Abbr|PR|Paralympic record}}, {{Abbr|AR|Area (continental) record}} |
| 400 m (T43)
| 46.20 | 15 September 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Paralympics New Zealand|liam-malone-197}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160717025957/http://www.paralympics.org.nz/Para-Athletes/Athlete-Profiles/Liam-Malone archive])
- {{IPC athlete|liam-malone}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARiSdDlT2g Meet Our Paralympians: Liam Malone] – Attitude Live video profile
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{S-bef | before= Sophie Pascoe}}
{{S-ttl | title = Halberg Awards – Disabled Sportsperson of the Year | years = 2016}}
{{S-aft | after = Sophie Pascoe}}
{{s-end}}
{{2016 New Zealand Paralympic team}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malone, Liam}}
Category:Sportspeople from Nelson, New Zealand
Category:New Zealand male sprinters
Category:Paralympic athletes for New Zealand
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Category:Paralympic gold medalists for New Zealand
Category:Paralympic silver medalists for New Zealand
Category:People educated at Nayland College
Category:Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)