17 May 2016

Eight current world champions are among the 49 strong British Athletics team set to compete at the IPC Athletics European Championships in Grosseto, Italy on 10-16 June.

Richard Whitehead (coach: Keith Antoine) and Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell) are among the eight athletes who won gold medals in Doha last October and will lead the British squad taking on Europe’s best at the Carlo Zecchini Olympic Stadium. Whitehead goes in the T42 100m and 200m after setting a remarkable 200m world record of 24.10 in Doha last year. Hahn was also in world record breaking form in 2015, dipping to 12.60 in the T38 100m and will look to go better once again in a busy schedule that also includes the 200m and 4x100m relay.

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones) extended his own world record in Arizona last week with a throw of 16.13m, a mark which is still to be ratified by the IPC. The Welshman will look to retain the double European gold in the F42 shot put and discus which he achieved on home soil in Swansea 2014. After a successful international debut in Swansea two years ago, Jo Butterfield (Philip Peat/Shona Malcolm) will have her sights set on retaining her European title in the F32/51 club throw, but will face stiff competition from teammates Gemma Prescott and Abbie Hunnisett (Anthony Hughes), who were third and fourth at the previous edition.

World champions Georgie Hermitage (Paul McGregor) and Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) both extended their world records last weekend in Barcelona in the T37 400m and 200m respectively, and will go into the championships full of confidence after impressive starts to their outdoor campaigns. They will also be part of the T35-38 4x100m relay which includes Maria Lyle (Tabo Huntley), Olivia Breen (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) and Hahn who were part of the gold-medal winning team in Qatar.  

Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir (Jenny Archer) will compete over a number of events in Grosseto as he gears up for the Rio Paralympic Games. Reigning T44 100m Paralympic and European champion Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff) and T44 long jump Paralympic silver medallist Stef Reid (Aston Moore) return to the fold after injuries saw them miss out on the IPC Athletics World Championships in October.  

Fresh from winning the Invictus Games and setting a huge lifetime best in Arizona, David Henson (Roger Kellar), will have his sights set on a podium finish after a 24.71 clocking at the IPC Grand Prix in Tempe, which ranks him third in the world T42 200m standings for 2015.

There is also a welcome return to action for David Devine (Adrian Webb), who up until March had only competed once since his double bronze medal triumph at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Despite an injury-hit four years, the 24 year old has shown he is getting back to his best after clocking 3:56.36 over 1500m on the weekend.

Also on the comeback trail is T53 100m Paralympic gold medallist Mickey Bushell (Archer), who has battled back from a serious infection to regain his place on the British team where he’ll be looking to make his mark once again on the major stage.

10 athletes will be making their senior international debuts in the Italian city including Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins) who currently sits fourth in the world rankings in the T33 100m and will be joined by world number two and three in Daniel Bramall (Hoskins) and Toby Gold (Archer), who won medals in Doha last year.

Head Coach Paula Dunn said: “We have picked a team consisting of vast experience with the likes of Dave (Weir) and Richard (Whitehead) combined with plenty of potential as we look ahead over the next few years including the 2017 World Championships in London and 2020 Paralympics.”

“Grosseto will give a number of athletes a chance to leave their mark in the build-up to Rio with others using it as a fantastic opportunity to learn and perform on a major stage. “

The British Athletics team for the IPC Athletics European Championships (49) in Grosseto, Italy:

James Arnott (Ryan Freckleton) – T47m 100m

Joshua Bain (Paul Welch) – F37 Discus

Graeme Ballard (Trevor Painter) – T36 100m

Daniel Bramall (Rick Hoskins) – T33 100m

Olivia Breen (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) – T38 100m, 200m, Long Jump and 4x100m relay

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fuzz Caan) – T44 High Jump

Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer) – T53 100m and 400m

Jo Butterfield (Philip Peat/Shona Malcolm) – F51 Club Throw and Discus

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks) – T54 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay

Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) – T37 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay

Vanessa Daobry (Alison O’Riordan) – F34 Shot Put

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones) – F42 shot and discus

David Devine (Adrian Webb) – T12 1500m

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes) – F41 Javelin and Shot Put

Mitchell Dutton (Philip Peat) – F38 Javelin

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson) – F20 Shot Put

Toby Gold (Jenny Archer) – T33 100m

Dan Greaves (John Godina) – F44 Discus

Kylie Grimes (Philip Peat) – F51 Club Throw

Dylan Harris (Adrian Brown) – T36 100m and 200m

Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonnell) – T38 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay

James Hamilton – (Mark Kirk) T20 1500m

David Henson (Roger Keller) – T42 100 and 200m

Georgie Hermitage (Paul MacGregor) – T37 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay

Josh Howard (Joe Frost) – T38 Long Jump

Jordan Howe (Keith Antoine) – T35 100m and 200m

Abbie Hunnisett (Anthony Hughes) – F32 Club Throw

Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer) – T53 100m, 200, 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay

Jade Jones (Ian Thompson/Tanni Grey-Thompson) – T54 400m and 800m

Maria Lyle (Tabo Huntley) – T35 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay

Nathan Maguire (Steven Hoskins) – T54 200m, 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay

Erin McBride (Tabo Huntley) – T13 100m and 400m

Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) – F32 Club Throw

Stephen Morris (James Thie) – T20 1500m

Holly Neill (Andrew Roda) – F41 Discus

Stephen Osborne (Jenni Banks) – T51 100m and 400m

Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff) – T44 100m

Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood) – F32 Club Throw

Stef Reid (Aston Moore) – F44 Long Jump

Ben Rowlings (Job King) – T34 100m, 400m and 800m

Sam Ruddock (Jim Edwards) – F35 Shot Put

Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell) – T13 100m and 200m

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins) – T33 100m

Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) – T44 100m and 200m

Carly Tait (Rick Hoskins) – T34 100m, 400m and 800m

Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman) – T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m

Amy Wareing (Jim Edwards) – F38 Discus

David Weir (Jenny Archer) – T54 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 4x400m relay

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine) – T42 100m and 200m