Bill Latham (born 29 October 1989) is a 4 point wheelchair basketball player from Australia. He was a member of the Australian national team that competed at the 2010[1][2] and 2014 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships that won gold medals.[3][4] At the 2012 Summer Paralympics he was part of the Australian men's wheelchair team that won silver.[5] He was a member for the Rollers at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, his fourth Games.[6][7]
 Latham at the 2024 Summer Paralympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | 29 October 1989 |
| Sport | |
| Club | Queensland Spinning Bullets |
Personal life
edit.jpg)
Born on 29 October 1989. As a five year old, Latham severely damaged his left leg in a tractor accident at his family property near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.[8] At the age of 13, Latham made the decision, with the support of his family, to have his left leg amputated below the knee.
Latham's great-grandfather Tedda Courtney who played rugby league for Australia and was the first coach of the Canterbury Bulldogs.[8]
Basketball career
editBefore playing wheelchair basketball, he participated swimming, lawn bowls and athletics throwing - discus, javelin and shot put.[8]
Latham is a 4.0 wheelchair basketball player and plays centre/forward. His achievements include silver in the 2012 Paralympics and gold in the 2014 and 2010 World Championships
He was part of the team sent to represent Australia in the 2016 Paralympics where they finished sixth.[9]
In 2018, he was a member of the Rollers that won the bronze medal at 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Hamburg, Germany. [10]
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, the Rollers finished fifth with a win–loss record of 4–4.[6][11] At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, he was a member of the Rollers that finished fifth with a win/loss record of 3-3.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Basketball Australia : 2010 WC Team". Basketball Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Newsletter 2010 July 2010". Australian Athletes With a Disability. July 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Rollers Int History". Basketball Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "Rollers are back to back World Champions". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "Men's Wheelchair Basketball results". London 2012 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Standards And Culture To Drive Revamped Rollers". Paralympics Australia. 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Fire Burns For Veteran Rollers Picked For Paris 2024 | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Bill Latham". Basketball Australia. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Hosts shock Rollers to end Rio campaign". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Rollers earn bronze at the 2018 World Championships". Basketball Australia website. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- ^ "Rollers end Tokyo campaign fifth". New South Wales Institute of Sport. 4 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Point Proven, But Rollers Lament Lost Opportunity | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
