10 current Paralympic and world champions have been named in a 56-strong GB & NI team sponsored by Sainsbury’s heading to the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea on 18-23 August.
Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir (coach: Jenny Archer) will make his first appearance in a GB & NI vest since winning four gold medals at London 2012, while Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge) will be looking to hold all of the major T44 100m titles and will go in to the championships ranked number one in Europe.
Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine), who is also the reigning T42 200m Paralympic and world gold, will have his sights set on retaining the European title he won in 2012 in Stadskanaal, Netherlands.
Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) and Aled Davies (Hughes), who have started the season in imperious form claiming world records in their respective events, will head to South Wales with their eyes focused on a place on top of the podium at the Swansea University International Sports Village.
Also amongst some of the experienced names in the team is Stef Reid (Rana Reider). The 29 year old will head to the IPC Athletics European Championships in the form of her life, after breaking the F44 long jump world record at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix earlier this month with a leap of 5.47m.
Swansea looks set to renew another exciting rivalry with world T38 100m champion Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonnell) and reigning European 100m champion Margarita Goncharova. After regaining her world record two days after losing it to the Russian in May, Hahn took the scalp of her main challenger with victory at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games on Sunday.
Paralympic and world F51 discus champion and world record holder Josie Pearson (Hughes) is among another big contingent of Welsh-based athletes in the team, which also includes world F46 javelin champion Hollie Arnold (Hughes), who has added nearly three metres to her personal best in 2014.
Libby Clegg (Antoine) (T12 100m & 200m), Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) (F32 club throw) are among a select group of three aiming to defend their titles, while Paralympic and world silver medallist Dan Greaves (Jim Edwards), who broke the 60m barrier in the F44 discus for the first time in his career this month, will be looking to continue his rich vein of form.
Among one of the new names on the team is Maria Lyle, who has broken the T35 100m and 200m world record this year at the age of just 14, is among 15 athletes, who will make their first GB & NI appearance in a senior team in Swansea.
Paralympic T53 100m gold medallist Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer) will lead the line in the 100m and 200m, with GB & NI teammate and world champion Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk) going for glory in the T36 100m and 400m.
Paralympic Head Coach Paula Dunn said: “The IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea is vitally important in the development of the team over the course of the next few years. There are a number of familiar faces once again in the team, but also what is encouraging is the emerging talent breaking into the ranks, which puts us in a really strong position moving forwards.
“It’s another home championships for the team and it will be great to get the support of not only the local Welsh community, but also the rest of the British public coming from further afield. We saw how much a home crowd spurred on the athletes in London, and it would be great to give the team another rapturous welcome in South Wales,” added Dunn, who will lead the GB & NI team sponsored by Sainsbury’s in Swansea.
GB & NI team for the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea (18-23 August):
- Ola Abidogun (coach: Grant Barker) - T47 100m, 200m
- Jonathan Adams (Jim Edwards) - T37 shot put
- Hollie Arnold (Anthony Hughes) - F46 javelin
- Joshua Bain (Paul Welch) - F37 javelin
- Graeme Ballard (Tabo Huntley) - T36 100m, 200m, 400m
- Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk) - T36 100m, 400m
- Olivia Breen (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) - T38 100m, long jump
- Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fuzz Ahmed) - F44 high jump
- Sally Brown (Keith Antoine) - T47 100m, 400m
- Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer) - T53 100m, 200m
- Joanna Butterfield (Phil Peat) - F51 club throw, discus
- Libby Clegg (Keith Antoine) - T12 100m, 200m
- Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) - T34 100m, 800m
- Aled Davies (Anthony Hughes) - F42 shot put, discus
- Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes) - F41 shot put, javelin
- Dan Greaves (Jim Edwards) - F44 discus
- Thomas Green (Kenneth Green) - F32 club throw
- Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonnell) - T38 100m, 400m
- Maria Hawkeswood (Alison O’Riordan) - F56 javelin
- Jordan Howe (Keith Antoine) - T35 100m, 200m
- Abi Hunnisett (Camilla Thrush) - F32 club throw
- Jade Jones (Ian Thompson/Tanni Grey-Thompson) - T54 800m, 1500m, 5000m
- Moatez Jomni (Jenny Archer) - T53 400m, 800m
- Beverley Jones (Dave Caldecourt) - F37 discus, shot put
- Rhys Jones (Keith Antoine) - T37 100m, 200m
- Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk) – T44 100m, 200m
- Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin) - T53 100m, 400m,
- Maria Lyle (Henry Gray) - T35 100m, 200m
- Erin McBride (Robert Roberts) - T13 100m, 400m
- Jenny McLoughlin (Keith Antoine) – T37 100m, 200m
- Dean Miller (Bud Baldaro) - T37 1500m
- Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) – F32 club throw
- Dzaier Neil (Alison O’Riordan) – F52 discus
- Holly Neill (Andrew Roda) – F41 discus, shot put
- Mel Nicholls (Job King) – T34 100m, 800m
- Danny Nobbs (Tim Newenham) – F54 javelin
- Georgina Oliver (Pete Wyman)– T54 100m, 400m
- Stephen Osborne (Jenni Banks) - T51 100m, 400m
- Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge) – T44 100m
- Josie Pearson (Anthony Hughes) – F51 club throw, discus
- Gemma Prescott (Mike Woods) - F32 club throw
- Stef Reid (Rana Reider) – F44 long jump, 100m
- Ben Rowlings (Job King) – T34 100m, 400m, 800m
- Sam Ruddock (Joseph McDonnell) – T35 shot put
- Ben Rushgrove (Rob Ellchuk) – T36 100m
- Rob Smith (Jenni Banks) - T52 100m, 400m, 1500m
- Nathan Stephens (Anthony Hughes) - F57 javelin, discus
- Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) - T44 100m, 200m, long jump
- Isaac Towers (Pete Wyman) - T34 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m
- Kieran Tschierniawsky (Jim Edwards) F33 discus, shot put
- David Weir (Jenny Archer) T54 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m
- Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine) T42 200m
- Bradley Wigley (Jane Coia) – T38 100m & 200m
- Rob Womack (Shaun Pickering) – F55 shot put, discus
- Shelly Woods (Jenny Archer) – T54 800m, 1500m, 5000m
- Bethany Woodward (Jared Deacon) – T37 100m, 400m
To purchase tickets for the IPC European Championships in Swansea, please visit http://www.paralympic.org/swansea-2014/tickets