Nine British athletes were in action on the track and in the field on the opening day of the four-day World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai on Monday.

Paralympic champion Dan Pembroke (David Turner, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) was the top F13 Javelin athlete in the mixed classification competition, throwing 62.07m to open his 2022 campaign. He had two marks over 60 metres during his series, but the second-round effort was the best of his competition.

Paralympic finalist Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman, Gateshead) threw the second furthest mark of her career in the F35 Shot Put. Three throws over eight metres were measured during her series with the best of the bunch coming in at 8.20m in round two. Her career best of 8.47m came at the World Championships final in 2019 which were also held at the stadium in Dubai.

After opening her season in Sharjah last week, Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks, Leeds) was back on the track in the women’s T34 800m and she recorded a time of 1:53.26 to beat Australia’s Angela Ballard.

In heat two of the men’s T54 800m, Daniel Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) narrowly missed the win as Thailand’s Athiwat Paeng-Nuea clinched it by 0.05 seconds. Sidbury, who was a Paralympic finalist last year, finished strongly to cross the line in 1:35.63.

In the following race, Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby) was embroiled in a close battle with Thailand’s Saichon Konjen with the Briton finishing second by 0.01s in 1:35.19.

T33 100m Paralympic champion Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins, Stockport) opened his season with an 800m race in the mixed T33/34 category, and he pushed to a time of 2:11.52 – later confirmed as a European record – for third position behind winner, Walid Ktila who posted 1:44.33.

Welshman Zac Tandy (Nathan Stephens, DSW Para Academy) finished eighth in the men’s F42/43/44 Discus with a best throw of 44.85m. It was the second furthest throw of the F44 thrower’s career, his PB standing at 46.45m.

Over in the F32/51 club throw, Stephen Miller (Ros Miller, Gateshead) was third on Raza points with his furthest effort measured at 29.28m in round four.

Elsewhere, European medallist Alexander Thomson (Chris Baillie, Victoria Park City of Glasgow) ran a time of 55.29 for fifth position in the men’s T38 400m.

Results: https://team-thomas.org/