Heath Davidson
 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Portrait | |
| Country (sports) |
 Australia |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 May 1987 |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | 29 |
| Other tournaments | |
| Doubles | |
| Highest ranking | 8 |
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Heath Davidson (born 9 May 1987) is an Australian quad wheelchair tennis player. He represented Australia in at the 2016 Rio Paralympics,[1][2] where he teamed up with Dylan Alcott to win the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal.[3]
Personal
Davidson was born on 9 May 1987.[4] He contracted the virus transverse myelitis at the age of five months and this led to paraplegia.[5] He attended Parkdale Secondary College in Melbourne.[5]
Tennis
He started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 14.[5] In 2001, At the Australian Disabled Games in Queensland he won a bronze medal in wheelchair tennis and two silver medals for table tennis.[5] After ten years he retired from the sport.[6]
After he returned to wheelchair tennis, he teamed with Dylan Alcott to win the prestigious BNP Paribas World Team Cup held in Tokyo, Japan in May 2016. They upset Great Britain in the final.[1] Davidson and Alcott won the Men's Quad Doubles gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.[3] They defeated the reigning champions David Wagner and Nick Taylor in the gold medal match 4–6, 6–4, 7–5. [3][7] In the Men's Quad Singles, Davidson lost to Andy Lapthorne (GBR) 0-2 (1-6, 2-6) in the quarter-finals.[3]
Recognition
He won the Variety Australia Young Sports Achievers Award in 2003 with Dylan Alcott.[8] In 2016, he shared Tennis Australia's Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability with doubles partner Dylan Alcott.[9]
References
- 1 2 "KELLERMAN, WEEKES NAMED IN PARALYMPIC TEAM". Tennis NSW website. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ↑ "Paralympic glory in sight for Australia's wheelchair tennis athletes". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Heath Davidson". Rio Paralympics Official site. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ "Heath Davidson". International Tennis Federation website. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Baskett, Sarah (29 November 2011). "Heath has a ball on court". Herald Sun.
- ↑ "Heath Davidson". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ↑ Walsh, Scott (14 September 2016). "2016 Rio Paralympics: Aussie Dylan Alcott, Heath Davidson win tennis gold in quad doubles". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ "Variety Awards". Variety Australia website. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ↑ "Alcott awarded 2016 Newcombe Medal". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 29 November 2016.