Hunter now the hunted: How Dylan Littlehales went from promising teen to world champ

Dylan Littlehales will line up at the Paralympics as one of the favourites for the KL3 medals after a training block that could help Aussie captain Curt McGrath also retain his title.

Dylan Littlehales is going for gold in Paris. Picture: Paddle Australia

He remains the baby of the paracanoe team but at just 24, Dylan Littlehales is heading into a third Paralympic Games with the sort of experience he hopes can translate into gold in Paris.

Littlehales was just 16 when he made his Paralympic debut in Rio, where he made the semi-finals before a fourth placing in Tokyo three years ago, just off the podium.

This time around, he will head to the Vaires-sur-Marne course about 30km east of central Paris as one of the favourites for the KL3 title.

Dylan Littlehales will head to the Paralympics among the favourites for the KL3 title. Picture: Richard Dobson

Littlehales won the paracanoe world championship in the VL3 category last year and has no chance of flying under the radar when competitors gather at the Paralympics despite losing his title earlier this year when Spain’s Juan Antonio Valle pipped him by just 0.1sec for the gold.

He heads to his third Games a more assured athlete for those performances though and knows he will be right in the mix in Paris.

“It gives me huge confidence because I actually came into that race with a bit of a back injury,” he said of last year’s gold medal-winning event.

“I couldn’t paddle for three days before the race and then was basically just on anti-inflammatories and painkillers on the day and managed to just get the win.

“So that was huge (for my) confidence, not only to show that I could win on that course but to show that even when I’m not feeling my best, I can still manage to pull out a good race.”

After just being pipped at the post again this year, Littlehales knows he’ll have a target on his back at the Games but is ready for the pressure.

“It’s definitely something different for me. It’s going to be my first major race as the favourite,” he said.

Dylan Littlehales qualified for his first Paralympic team as a teenager. Photo: Australian Paralympic Committee/Jeff Crow.

But Littlehales said the number of emerging athletes in what remains a relatively young sport, and the return of Russian athletes, about 90 of whom will compete as neutrals at the Paralympics, meant there was no clear favourite for the event.

Littlehales has a secret — or not so secret, really — weapon in training partner and Paralympic gold medallist Curt McGrath, who could help propel him to the top of the podium.

The pair has been training together and pushing each other to new highs in a bid to both be on the podium at the Games.

“It’s very, very productive because unlike most athletes in that situation, we’re not directly competing against each other, so it takes off a bit of that edge when you lose an effort to each other,” Littlehales said.

After being born with a right leg that was missing crucial ligaments and bones, Littlehales races in the KL3 category, for the most mobile paracanoe athletes.

McGrath, who lost both legs when he stepped on an IED while serving in Afghanistan, races in the KL2 category given he has less ability than Littlehales to power the kayak with his leg drive.

Paracanoe representatives (from left) Curtis McGrath, Dylan Littlehales and Susan Seipel receive their boarding passes and berets after being the first athletes named to Australia’s Paralympic team.

The three-time Paralympic gold medallist’s times in the kayak are comparable with podium-placing KL3 athletes though, meaning McGrath and Littlehales are the perfect training partners.

“Curt tied with the second place in KL3 (on a times comparison) last year, so he’s sort of that benchmark of where the competition was last year,” Littlehales said.

“So my goal is to just stay as far ahead as him as I can while dragging him up, to try to keep him above (both their rivals).

“I know that if I’m in front of him, then I’ve got a good chance.

“We’re working well together, so we bring each other up.”

Littlehales will start competition on September 6 with the KL3 heats.

Originally published as Hunter now the hunted: How Dylan Littlehales went from promising teen to world champ