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Ryley Batt

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Ryley Batt
Ryley Batt in 2020
Personal information
Born (1989-05-22) 22 May 1989 (age 35)
Sport
SportWheelchair rugby
Disability class3.5
ClubHunter Wildfires
TeamAustralian Steelers (2003–current)
Medal record
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Mixed
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio Mixed
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing Mixed
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Mixed
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Vancouver Mixed
Gold medal – first place 2014 Odense Mixed
Silver medal – second place 2018 Sydney Mixed
Gold medal – first place 2022 Vejle Mixed

Ryley Batt, OAM (born 22 May 1989)[1] is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He has won two gold, one silver medal and one bronze medal at six Paralympic Games. [2]

Biography

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Batt avoiding Buckingham from New Zealand at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics

Ryley Douglas Batt was born on 22 May 1989 without legs and had surgery to separate his webbed fingers.[1][3] Up to the age of twelve, he did not use a wheelchair, preferring to move around on a skateboard.[1]

He was convinced to use a wheelchair when he saw a demonstration of wheelchair rugby at his school, and took up the sport shortly afterwards in that year.[1] He first participated in the Australian Steelers in 2002.[4] He was part of the national team at the 2004 Athens Games, where he was the youngest Paralympic rugby player in the world at the age of 15,[4] the 2008 Beijing Games, where the team won a silver medal,[5] and the 2012 London Games, when the team won a gold medal.[6]

From 2006 to 2010, he was the national team's most valuable player.[4]

He competed in the 2010 World Rugby Wheelchair Championships, where his team won a silver medal,[4] and he won the most valuable player award.[7] He was a member of the Australian team that won its first world championship gold medal at the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships at Odense, Denmark.[8]

Batt interviewed outside the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year ceremony

He was a member of the team that retained its gold medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics after defeating the United States 59–58 in the final. [9]

At the 2018 IWRF World Championship in Sydney, he was a member of the Australian team that won the silver medal after being defeated by Japan 61–62 in the gold medal game.[10] He was the only Australian named in the 2018 IWRF World Championship All-Tournament Team.[11]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, the Steelers finished fourth after being defeated by Japan 52–60 in the bronze medal game. COVID travel restrictions led to the Steelers not having a team training session since March 2020 prior to Tokyo.[12]

Batt won his second world championship gold medal at the 2022 IWRF World Championship in Vejle, Denmark. He was named the Most Valuable Player and was also the leading scorer, crossing the line 231 times for Australia.[13]

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, he was a member of the Steelers that won the bronze medal defeating Great Britain 50–48.[14]

He lives in the New South Wales city of Port Macquarie, and leads the New South Wales Gladiators and the San Diego Sharp Edge in the United States.[1]

Ryley Batt in action in 2007

Recognition

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Batt was a finalist for the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year.[15] He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."[3]

In November 2014, he won three awards at the New South Wales Institute of Sport Awards – ClubsNSW Male Athlete of the Year, Office of Communities, Sport and Recreation Regional Athlete of the Year and Quest Serviced Apartments Team Athlete of the Year.[16]

In November 2019, Batt with Daniela Di Toro was named co-captain of the Australian Team at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[17] On 23 August 2021, Batt and Di Toro were announced as the flagbearers for the Australian team for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics opening ceremony.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Ryley Batt". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Steelers chasing redemption at Paris Games". Yahoo Sports. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Australia Day honours list 2014: in full". Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ryley Batt". Australian Athletes with a Disability. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Steelers win wheelchair rugby gold". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  7. ^ "Ryley Batt – Paralympic Games". Greater Port Macquarie Focus. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Australia wins first ever IWRF World Championship". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  9. ^ Lees, Chris (19 September 2016). "Steelers double up with Paralympics gold". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Results". IWRF Wheelchair Rugby World Championships website. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  11. ^ Greenway, Bea (10 August 2018). "Sydney 2018: Day Six Review". International Wheelchair Rugby Federation website. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Australia names wheelchair rugby team of 12 for Tokyo 2020". Inside The Games. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Australian Steelers Are World Wheelchair Rugby Champions". Paralympics Australia. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Forged In Bronze: Steelers Reach Paralympic Podium After Eight-Year Wait | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Freney favourite to win top Paralympian". Australian Associated Press. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Batt and Fox dominate NSWIS awards". New South Wales Institute of Sport News. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  17. ^ "Di Toro and Batt to captain 2020 Australian Paralympic Team". Paralympics Australia. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  18. ^ "Two Of Australia's Greatest Paralympians Bestowed Flagbearer Honour". Paralympics Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
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