Determined to be an athlete while growing up in Herndon, Va., George developed his upper body to the point where today his shoulders ripple out of his shirts, he can bench-press 220 pounds, and he can do dips (forms of pull-ups on parallel bars) with 100 pounds strapped to his back. That sheer strength, as well as the pushing motion that is so ingrained in his joints  many competitors weren’t hurt until their teens or later  leaves George with an off-the-charts power-to-weight ratio that is crucial to acceleration. Add to that the dexterity to hit his wheel rims at maximum power up to 140 times a minute during sprints, lungs strong enough to handle marathons on consecutive weekends and an eat-my-dust competitive verve, and George could soon dominate wheelchair racing.

“He’s doing everything right at the moment,” said David Weir, 28, one of George’s top rivals from Britain and the winner of last month’s London Marathon. “He’s a very talented young athlete that’s going to go far in his sport. If it all comes together at once, he’s going to be outstanding.”

Image Georges strength  he can bench-press 220 pounds although he weighs 98 pounds  helps him power his wheelchair to 23 miles per hour. Credit... Erik S. Lesser for The New York Times

George’s stroke is honed with the help of sophisticated analysis. At a recent training camp, slow-motion software mapped every split-second of the cycloid technique: the impact of gloved hand to rubber rim at about 2 o’clock on the wheel face; the .083 seconds of contact during which hundreds of pounds of force push down; the release of the hand at approximately 5:30, just as the arms are almost stretched to maximum length; the rising up to ready-to-push position with actions and breaths similar to a butterfly swimmer’s; and then impact all over again.

At full speed, powering the chair up to 23 miles per hour, it’s the frenzied flutter only a hummingbird could appreciate. Yet delicate it is not. As George pointed at some of the statistics on a projector screen, he unwittingly advertised his sport’s battle scars  his fingers were bruised purple, and the undersides of his elbows were streaked with burns.

“If a doctor said a magic pill could probably let me walk again, I wouldn’t take it,” said George, who has won three Chicago Marathons. “I’ve worked very hard to be who I am.”

George has held world records in the 100-, 400- and 800-meter distances, and swept the 100, 200, 400 and 800 races at the 2006 world championships. He will compete in all four of those events in Beijing, as well as the 1,500 meters and the marathon, the sport’s most prestigious races. George also could have played guard for the United States wheelchair basketball team, but declined so he could concentrate on racing.