Sixteen-year-old Maslin Beach running phenom Angus Hincksman has claimed a silver and bronze medal at the 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships.
Hincksman took home the silver in the Open Men's 1500m (Ambulant) on Thursday, and secured the bronze in the Open Men's 800m (Ambulant) on Friday.
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Faced with rain and strong winds in the 1500m, Hincksman, who is a T38 para-athlete, crossed the finish line in a personal record time of 4:06.25, which was also a national Under 20 record.
T38 is a category which is reserved for athletes with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that effects muscle control, balance and coordination.
The former Tatachilla Lutheran College student's performance is being lauded by many, with the teenager upstaging some of Australia's strongest Paralympic middle-distance runners.
National T38 record holder Reece Langdon secured gold with a time of 4:03.94, while Deon Kenzie, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Paralympics in the T38 1500m, finished in third place with a time of 4:06.39..
The race also featured Daniel Bounty, who finished sixth in the 1500m in Tokyo. All four runners showcased a golden generation of para middle-distance running.
Despite tough running conditions, all competitors looked comfortable during the three-and-three-quarter lap race, with Hincksman sitting in fourth for majority of the tussle.
However, during the last 200 metres of the race, the teenager overtook Bounty and Kenzie to secure a silver.
In an interview with Athletics SA, Hincksman said he felt "crazy good" in what were testing conditions.
"I am feeling crazy good, I wasn't expecting anything given the windy and rainy conditions and four really good runners in my classification," Hincksman said.
"I came in with the slowest seed time but I wanted to push myself and that's what I did. This was my first Open medal and it was so unexpected, which makes it better in a way.
"Running against Reece, who has the National T38 record, and Paralympians Deon and Daniel was awesome."
Coach Simon Moran highlighted the magnitude of Hincksman's performance, with the 16-year-old recording the sixth fastest time in world by an T38 athlete during the 2021/22 season.
Moran said the youngster was "sandwiched" between the second and third fastest T38 1500m runners ever, and timed his run to perfection.
Hincksman ran a 2:03.80 in the Open Men's 800m (Ambulant), finishing behind Daniel Bounty and winner Reece Langdon.
Another superb performance at national level will provide Hincksman with plenty of confidence as he looks to book his ticket at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Taylor Harvey
Taylor is the lone journalist at the Border Chronicle, which serves as a news medium for residents of the Tatiara. This is his first job in the field after completing his study at the University of Adelaide.
Taylor is the lone journalist at the Border Chronicle, which serves as a news medium for residents of the Tatiara. This is his first job in the field after completing his study at the University of Adelaide.
