18 June 2013

British Athletics have named 28 London 2012 medallists in the 48-strong team for the IPC Athletics World Championships, which take place in Lyon, France from 19-28 July.

Those selected from last summer’s Paralympic Games include gold medallists Mickey Bushell (coach: Fred Periac), Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks), Aled Davies (Anthony Hughes), Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge), Josie Pearson (Anthony Hughes) and Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine).

T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m world record holder Cockroft heads to Lyon as a double Paralympic and World champion over 100m and 200m, and the 20 year old from Halifax has her sights firmly set on retaining those titles.

Also doubling up in the sprints is reigning T12 100m world champion Libby Clegg (Keith Antoine), who is looking to defend her crown, as well as bettering the 200m bronze she picked up two years ago in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Stef Reid (Rana Reider), a silver medallist in the F44 long jump last summer, will be looking to improve on her bronze medal placing two years ago, as the 28 year old aims to continue her impressive major championship record. 

Dan Greaves (Jim Edwards), a medallist at the last four Paralympic Games, heads to France as the defending champion in the F44 discus, while Nathan Stephens (Hughes) will be looking to repeat his 2011 gold-medal winning feat in the F57 javelin, as the 25 year old also lines up in the discus. 

The London 2012 bronze medal-winning T35-T38 4x100m team of Olivia Breen (Leroy Elliott), Beth Woodward (Jared Deacon), Jenny McLoughlin (Darrell Maynard) and Katrina Hart (Rob Ellchuk) will reunite in Lyon for the relay, as well as competing over their individual events.

Sophie Kamlish (Ellchuk), who was the youngest member of the GB & NI athletics team at London 2012 at the age of 16, will line up in the T44 100m and 200m, while Sophia Warner (Stephen King), a double medallist in 2011, will compete in the T35 100m and 200m.

In combining youth and experience British Athletics Paralympic Head Coach Paula Dunn will give senior GB & NI debuts to nine athletes, including Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fuzz Ahmed), Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonnell) (T38 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay), Scott Jones (Carolyn Franks) (F34 shot put), Andy Kaar (David Sunderland) (T2-0 1500m), Erin McBride (Robert Roberts) (T12 400m), Holly Neill (Andrew Roda) (F41 discus), Georgina Oliver (Paul Moseley) (T54 100m and 200m), Laura Sugar (Hayley Ginn) (T44 100m and 200m) and Lee Whiteley (Keith Hunter) (T38 100m and 200m).

Dunn said:

“There’s an exciting blend of young talent and experienced athletes in the team and hopefully this is the building block for 2016. London 2012 was a great year for the Paralympic movement with more stars emerging onto the world stage, I’m confident that we will see some more come through in Lyon at the IPC World Athletics Championships.

“We’ve seen some great performances already this year, with some of the guys posting some quick times and big throws. Our last competition before the Worlds is next week in Birmingham, at the Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final, and it will be a great way for our athletes to take stock of the competition before heading out to Lyon.”

Double Paralympic and World champion Hannah Cockroft said:

“It’s obviously a massive honour to be named on the GB & NI team for Lyon and representing my country in my first major championships since Games. We had a really strong team spirit last year at the London Games, so I’m looking forward to competing with some of the team from London again and seeing how everyone’s progressed.

“My personal target is to stay double World champion after winning the 100m and 200m in 2011 and hopefully post some quick times out there. Thanks to the support from my coaching team and the National Lottery, I have been able to continue on from where I left off last year posting world record times, which will stand me in good stead for the summer ahead.” 

MEN:

Ola Abidogun – T46 100m and 200m

Graeme Ballard – T36 100m & 200m

Paul Blake – T36 400m, 800m, 1500m

Jonathan Broom-Edwards – F44 high jump

Mickey Bushell – T53 100m, 200m & 400m

Jamie Carter – T34 200m, 400m & 800m 

Aled Davies – F42 discus and shot put

Derek Derenalagi – F57 discus

Kyron Duke – F41 javelin & shot put

Dan Greaves – F44 discus

Rhys Jones – T37 100m & 200m

Scott Jones – F34 shot put

Andy Kaar – T20 1500m

Dean Miller – T37 1500m

Stephen Miller – F32 club throw

Scott Moorhouse – F42 javelin

Steve Morris – T20 1500m

Stephen Osbourne – T51 100m, 200m

Jonnie Peacock – T44 100m

Sam Ruddock – T35 100m, 200m

Ben Rushgrove – T36 100m & 200m

Nathan Stephens – F57 discus & javelin

Kieran Tscherniawsky – F33 discus & shot put

Richard Whitehead – T42 200m

Lee Whiteley – T38 100m & 200m 

Rob Womack – F55/56 shot put

WOMEN:

Hollie Arnold – F46 javelin

Olivia Breen – T38 100m, 200m & relay

Libby Clegg – T12 100m & 200m

Hannah Cockroft – T34 100m and 200m

Sophie Hahn – T38 100m, 200m & relay

Katrina Hart – T37 100m, 200m & relay

Beverley Jones – F37 discus, shot put

Jade Jones – T54 400m, 1500m, 5000m 

Sophie Kamlish – T44 100m & 200m

Erin McBride – T13 400m

Jenny McLoughlin – T37 200m & relay

Holly Neill – F41 discus 

Melissa Nicholls – T34 100m & 200m

Georgina Oliver – T54 100m & 200m

Josie Pearson – F51/52/53 club throw & discus

Gemma Prescott – F32 club throw

Stefanie Reid – F44 long jump

Laura Sugar – T44 100m & 200m

Sophia Warner – T35 100m, 200m 

Claire Williams – F11/F12 discus

Shelly Woods – T54 1500m, 5000m & marathon  

Bethany Woodward – T37 200m & 100m & relay