A host of reigning Paralympic and world champions are among the 10 athletes selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games announced by ParalympicsGB today [21 June].
Following a successful World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe last month, as well as several fine displays by Para athletes in the early stages of the season, ten athletes have been confirmed for the Games in the first wave of selection.
Seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft leads the way in the team as she targets further success in Paris, having already shown terrific form this season with T34 100m and 800m titles in Japan last month.
Cockroft said: “It is a huge honour to once again be representing ParalympicsGB in Paris. I’m incredibly excited and proud to pull on the vest at my fourth Games this summer. This is going to be a very special Paralympic Games, and a huge opportunity for the sport, and all the athletes will be looking to showcase once again how incredible our sport is.”
Reigning Paralympic champions Jonathan Broom-Edwards [T64 High Jump], Aled Davies [F63 Shot Put] and Dan Pembroke [F13 Javelin] are confirmed in the squad for Paris in their respective events. The trio also secured world gold medals last month.
Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Davies added: “I am very proud to be selected, and the hunger is there for my Paralympic title. It is always an honour to represent your country and the people who have supported you. So, I am very excited about getting out there in Paris for my fourth Games.”
Hollie Arnold, Sabrina Fortune, Sammi Kinghorn and Ben Sandilands – who all have world titles to their name – join the first cohort of selected athletes. Sandilands will be a first time Paralympian in Paris.
Paralympic medallists Kare Adenegan and Olivia Breen complete the first wave of those selected.
Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB, said: “I’m delighted to welcome such a strong group of experienced and talented Para athletes to the ParalympicsGB team for Paris 2024. All ten individuals have already shown what they are capable of at the highest level, so I am really excited to see what they can achieve at the Paralympic Games in Paris later this summer.”
Tommy Yule, Para Athletics Team Leader at the Paralympic Games, said: “Congratulations to all 10 athletes for earning their call-up to Paris 2024. They have all worked incredibly hard with their support networks to get to this point, so they should be proud of their achievement.
“With just over two months to go until the Games begin, we will be supporting and engaging with all these athletes’ in their preparations, to add the most value to ensure they are best prepared for the Games.”
The second and final wave of Para athletics selection takes place in July with names announced soon afterwards.
A total of around 230 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the next few weeks.
At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. Paralympics GB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.
Women
Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) – T34 100m and 800m
Hollie Arnold (Scott Knighton, Blackheath & Bromley) – F46 Javelin
Olivia Breen (Aston Moore, City of Portsmouth) – T38 Long Jump
Hannah Cockroft (Paul Moseley, Leeds) – T34 100m and 800m
Sabrina Fortune (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Deeside) – F20 Shot Put
Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) – T53 100m, 400m and 800m
Men
Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff) – F63 Shot Put
Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Beth Partridge, Newham & Essex Beagles) – T64 High Jump
Dan Pembroke (John Trower, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) – F13 Javelin
Ben Sandilands (Steve Doig, Fife) – T20 1500m
