30th January 2011

Ipc World Championships Round Up

30 January 2011

In a hugely successful IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team won a total of 38 medals – including one World Record – to surpass the previous totals in Assen 2006 and Lille 2002 and finish third equal (based on gold medals) in the medal table.

With a total of 12 gold, 9 silver and 17 bronze, only China (58 medals/21 gold) and Russia (35 medals/18 gold) finished higher in the overall standings and only China secured more medals in total with 58.

In addition to a new global mark in the F44 discus from Dan Greaves (58.98m), Aviva GB & NI athletes achieved 19 lifetime best performances and five new European Records.

Peter Eriksson, Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team Leader and UKA Head Coach (Paralympic) said:

“We’ve had hugely successful Championships. We won 27 medals in the last edition of the IPC Athletics World Championships in Assen, Netherlands in 2006 with a haul of nine gold, nine silver and nine bronze, but the most important benchmark for us coming into this was our 18th place team finish in the Beijing Paralympic Games two years ago.

“We came out here knowing that a top ten finish in the medal table would be a step in the right direction and having finished third on the medal table behind two of the world’s leading nations in Paralympic track and field, I’m absolutely delighted.

“Our more experienced athletes have, in the main, continued to deliver medals at the highest level while our junior athletes – many of whom were here for high quality competition experience – have proved that while Rio 2016 may be their realistic target, London 2012 is very much a possibility, and a podium one at that.

“Overall we’re starting to see the gradual transition to a much more professional squad with a fantastic team spirit and it’s paid off; I’m confident that our success will now continue through to London.”