Medallists Dimitri Coutya (wheelchair fencing), Kieran Bird (swimming), Becky Wilde (rowing), Dan Bethell (para-badminton) and Piers Gilliver (wheelchair fencing). Photo: Anna Barclay.

The athletes all train, study or studied at the University, one of the country’s leading institutions for high-performance sport, and were joined at the gathering by staff, coaches and civic representatives from Bath and Somerset.

Double Paralympic Champion Dimitri Coutya (wheelchair fencing) and Olympic gold-medallist Kieran Bird (swimming) were in attendance along with Dan Bethell (para-badminton), Piers Gilliver (wheelchair fencing) and Becky Wilde (rowing), who all enjoyed podium success in Paris.

Tokyo Olympic Champion Freya Anderson, Leah Crisp and Jacob Whittle, Bird’s team-mates in the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre, also attended, as did Pentathlon GB’s Kate French and Charlie Brown. Demonstrating the international nature of the University’s Paris contingent were student-athletes Henrique Mascarenhas (swimming) and Sofia Sjostrom (eventing), who represented Angola and Sweden respectively.

The event was hosted by Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, who said: “We are immensely proud of the athletes’ achievements in Paris this summer and delighted we can celebrate that today.

“In total there were 30 athletes who either train, study or studied at the University who competed in Paris, across 12 different sports and representing seven countries, and they brought home an incredible 17 medals between them.

“We were honoured earlier this year to be awarded the status of UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre, celebrating the University’s role in helping Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes achieve their full performance potential.

Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, hosted the homecoming celebration. Photo: Anna Barclay.

“Supporting high-performance athletes is just part of the University’s commitment to sport. We are Top 10 in the World University Rankings for sports-related subjects, and our sports courses, innovative research and first-class facilities help improve fitness, health and sporting techniques for people around the world.”

Speaking on behalf of the Olympic athletes, women’s double sculls bronze-medallist Wilde – who made the switch from swimming to rowing while studying Sport and Social Sciences – thanked the University for supporting her through lengthy injury rehabilitation during her time as a student-athlete.

“There was a period in my second year of rowing when I didn’t know if I’d ever get back in a boat again but the University backed me throughout,” said Wilde, who was supported by a Santander Scholarship. “It is thanks to my physio Heather Foster, my coach Dan Harris [with the GB Rowing Team Start Programme] and having access to the amazing facilities here that I was able to continue my rowing career.”

Category B epee and foil champion Coutya, who won four medals in total in Paris, spoke on behalf of the Paralympic athletes. He has trained full-time at the University since 2016 and was the second athlete, after Gilliver, to join a wheelchair fencing programme, led by the UK Sports Institute (UKSI), that has gone from strength to strength during the past decade.

“I remember being in the Paralympic Village in Paris and taking a moment to reflect on how fortunate I was to be part of the University of Bath and how their support had helped me reach this unique environment,” he said. “The reason we have come back with so many medals is thanks to the work we do in the Team Bath Sports Training Village and the Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre [opened in 2022] that we call home.”

Speaking on behalf of the support staff was David McNulty, Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre whose athletes – including Bird and triple Olympic Champion Tom Dean – have won 14 medals across the past four Olympic Games.

“The environment and atmosphere that the Team Bath staff give us at the STV is second to none,” he said. “I’ve said it many times but there is nowhere in the world that has the same feel when you walk in. We won two gold medals in Paris but I know we can do better and that has spurred us on to go again for LA 2028.”

Also attending the reception were Ted Allen, Vice-Lieutenant of Somerset; Cllr Karen Walker, Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council; Cllr Ruth Malloy, Deputy Mayor of Bath; and Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Find out more about sport at the University of Bath by visiting bath.ac.uk/sport and teambath.com.

Lead photo shows from left: Sofia Sjoborg, Kieran Bird, Dan Bethell, Freya Anderson, Dimitri Coutya, Professor Phil Taylor (University of Bath Vice-Chancellor), Jacob Whittle, Piers Gilliver, Stephen Baddeley (Director of Sport), Leah Crisp, Charlie Brown, Kate French and Henrique Mascarenhas.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office

Gemma Collis – Photo ParalympicsGB

Paralympians who train at the University of Bath are heading to Paris determined to write their own chapters in this summer’s sporting success story.

Seven athletes from four sports – Dan Bethell (para-badminton), Suzanna Hext (para-swimming), Michael Taylor (para-triathlon), and Gemma Collis, Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gilliver and Oliver Lam-Watson (wheelchair fencing) – have been selected to represent Britain when the Games take place from Wednesday 28th August to Sunday 8th September.

Defending Category A epee champion Gilliver, Coutya and Lam-Watson brought nine medals home from Tokyo between them – one gold, three silver and five bronze – and, along with four-time Paralympian Gemma Collis, will be keen to add to their tally when they compete in the stunning Grand Palais from 3rd to 7th September.

With pool matches starting early in the morning and medals decided in the evening, the fencers are facing five long days of competition and Gilliver, silver-medallist in Rio and gold-medallist in Tokyo, said: “It’s going to be a challenging environment – not only are you facing the world’s best athletes but you’ve also got a very tough schedule to stick to.

“It’s going to be a really special experience, though. Paris is so close to home, we’ve got a fantastic venue with the Grand Palais, and friends and family will be able to come and support us. That will mean a huge amount.”

Para-swimmer Hext, who will contest the S5 100m freestyle on Friday 30th August, is also looking forward to experiencing a venue that provided one of the best atmospheres at the Olympics – the Paris La Defense Arena.

“Watching on TV and seeing that pool – oh my gosh, it’s going to be insane!” said Hext, from Calne, whose Paralympics debut in Tokyo was cut short by illness. “I’m going to be able to hear the noise too because of the rule change which means I’m allowed to race with my cochlear implants. I can’t wait.”

It’s a second Games too for Taylor, originally from Barnstaple and now living and studying in Bristol, who is coached by Jack Hall with the British Triathlon Bath National Performance Centre squad.

“It’s going to be a very different experience to Tokyo,” said Taylor, a lower-leg amputee who will compete in the PTS4 race on Sunday 1st September. “My family and friends are going to be there, and there will be crowds on the course too.

“The course itself is incredible, right through the centre of Paris. I think the River Seine swim will hopefully really play to my strengths, I used to swim a lot in the sea while growing up in North Devon so I should be used to the currents in the river. It’s a nice, flat course and the weather should be relatively cool so I think it should suit me.”

Bathonian Bethell – who does his regional training at the Sports Training Village where he began his para-badminton journey as a youngster with the Team Bath Futures athlete development programme – made history in Tokyo when he won Britain’s first-ever medal in the sport, a SL3 men’s singles silver.

He has high ambitions for Paris, saying: “My hope is to win the gold medal, that’s what I set out to do in this sport from the very beginning. Winning a silver in Tokyo was one dream fulfilled and it’s amazing to be a Paralympian, now I want to upgrade the colour in Paris.”

The para-badminton medals will be decided on Monday 2nd September.

With thanks to Bath University Press Office

Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Phoebe Paterson Pine and Jodie Grinham, who will be 28 weeks pregnant when competing at Paris 2024, will be representing ParalympicsGB for the second time alongside Nathan Macqueen, who will be competing in his third Paralympic Games. They are joined by Victoria Kingstone who will make her Paralympic debut in the French capital.

Paterson Pine said: “Just making Tokyo was an absolute dream come true so to be selected for my second Games as well is like one goal after another coming true!

“I’m also grateful the Games are so close to home this time, not only from a travel perspective but also being able to have my family and friends come and watch. Tokyo felt quite isolating at times, so being able to have them all come and support and see them and have a hug if needed is so important.

“I want to treat every single Games as a separate Games. I will always be Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion; nobody can take that away from me. Do I want to be Paris 2024 Paralympic champion – of course I do – but I’m not going to put that pressure on myself. I’m 26-years old, I want to go out there, enjoy the experience and enjoy being a two-time Paralympian.”

Grinham, who hails from Haverfordwest in Wales and now lives in Crawley, Sussex, won silver in the Compound Mixed Team event at Rio 2016. She will be 28 weeks pregnant when she competes in Paris, which is thought to be a first for any Paralympian competing for Great Britain.

The 30-year-old said: “It’s a very different experience for me this time around. You’ve got the athlete in me who’s relieved, excited and extremely prepared and then you’ve also got the mummy in me that’s going to miss home, miss my son and will be 28 weeks pregnant when competing in Paris. It’s all about creating a balance – as much as I know I’m going to miss home; I also love what I do so there’s always going to be a compromise.

“I can say I’ve been in the Paralympic family for eight years now and it really is family – we all support each other regardless of what we’ve gone through.

“I would love to bring a medal back like I did in Rio. To get on the podium, not just for myself and the performances I’ve done, but for women to show you can compete while pregnant and do well.”

The four archers were officially announced by ParalympicsGB at an event at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, the home of Archery GB, and the location of the recently opened Performance Archery Centre where the team have been training in the run up to Paris. The event, part of an international camp with visiting athletes from France, Finland, Hungary and Ireland, also saw children from local schools invited to meet the athletes and have a go at archery.

Macqueen, 33, made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 just months after his first international competition. The Scot, who lives in Dumfries, is the current world number two.

Macqueen said: “I’m really excited to be selected in what will be my third Paralympic Games. Taking part in three consecutive Games has not been easy by any means, but I want to keep going and become the Scottish Paralympian with the most Paralympic appearances.

“In comparison to previous Games it feels more real. Tokyo was what it was because of the way the world was at the time. I’m absolutely buzzing to be heading to Paris.

“My wife, son and lots of my family will all be coming to watch which will be brilliant. In terms of aspirations, you always want to win a medal. I don’t care what colour it is but just to be able to give my little boy a medal would be very cool.”

Completing the squad is Paralympic debutant Victoria Kingstone, originally from Rainham in Kent and now living in Camberley, Surrey, who will compete in the W1 Open category.

The 42-year-old, who won mixed team bronze at the 2023 European Para Championships said: “I just missed out on Tokyo but I’m looking forward to Paris, albeit a little nervous too. The closer it gets the more you realise the scale it is going to be and it’s daunting but it’s about getting the balance right, focusing on just delivering the best performance you can give. Preparations are going well, but with it being my first Games I haven’t got anything to compare it to. I don’t know how I’m going to perform but particularly in my category anything is possible!

“Being so close to home it almost feels like a home Games. My family is from Kent so they’re hoping to come over and watch me compete which will be really nice, and even those that aren’t able to travel, the minimal time difference will make it a lot easier for everyone to watch.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome our four Para archers to the ParalympicsGB team for Paris 2024. Nathan, Phoebe and Jodie all have fantastic Paralympic experience behind them and I know as a group will lead the way when it comes to sharing that Paralympic journey with Victoria as she makes her Paralympic debut in Paris.

“I’m especially pleased for Jodie who has been selected to compete for ParalympicsGB as an expectant mum – a first for ParalympicsGB and news we were delighted to learn. ParalympicsGB has been in close contact with the support team at Archery GB as well as colleagues at the UK Sports Institute to ensure Jodie is well looked after at the Games and I know she has been thorough in her preparations too.”

Rachel Bayley, Paralympic Team Leader, said: “I’m proud of the whole team. They’ve all worked so hard to get to where they are today. We have some with pedigree from past Paralympics, some that perhaps have some unfinished business, one debutant and some silverware from recent international competitions which is really positive. Whilst we don’t like to talk specifically about medal outcome, I’m very aware of what this team is capable of and so are they.

“Every team that’s going to be in Paris is going to be very competitive and we will be too. I’m confident we’ve got the ability to be there and compete and hopefully that will deliver some success.”

A total of around 220 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris.

At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

Full Archery squad:

Nathan Macqueen – Compound Men Open

Jodie Grinham – Compound Women Open

Phoebe Paterson Pine – Compound Women Open

Victoria Kingstone – Women WI

With thanks to ParalympicsGB

Tokyo champion Lauren Steadman (Women’s PTS5) is named in the squad as she looks to defend her title, whilst in the same classification Claire Cashmore will represent ParalympicsGB for the sixth time in search of her tenth medal. Cashmore came home from Tokyo with bronze from her first Games as a Para triathlete having previously competed in Para swimming.

Speaking on her fifth Paralympic Games selection, Steadman said: “It feels super exciting to be selected for my fifth Games. I am very honoured to fly the flag for British Triathlon and ParalympicsGB again and will do everything within my power to defend my gold medal.

“It’s just really exciting that if there was a little Lauren who was 14 years old starting her journey again, how proud she would be of the Lauren stepping up to go and race in Paris.

“I’m very, very excited and I hope that the legacy I can leave behind is not just of great sporting achievements but also that if anyone who dares to believe, dares to dream, they can have the career that they’d love to.”

Six-time world champion, Dave Ellis (Men’s PTVI), will race with long-term guide Luke Pollard with the pair looking to add to their World and Commonwealth champion status having suffered a DNF as a result of a mechanical failure on their bike in Tokyo.

Also returning to once again compete at the Paralympics will be Rio 2016 silver medallist Alison Peasgood in the women’s PTVI classification, alongside her guide Brooke Gillies. Peasgood, who finished fourth in Tokyo, will be racing in Paris having given birth to her first child in August 2023, with Gillies making her Games debut.

Looking ahead to her third Games, Peasgood commented: “It’s been such an emotional rollercoaster to get to this point of qualifying for my third Games. When I was holding my tiny baby in my arms last August, I didn’t know how it was all going to be possible.

“It’s taken a village to get me to this point and I’m grateful to all of them for their support. I am looking forward to representing ParalympicsGB alongside my amazing guide Brooke. Not sure what my son Logan will make of it all, but I hope one day he will be proud to have been part of this journey with me.”

Michael Taylor (Men’s PTS4) will also return having finished seventh in Tokyo, whilst Mel Nicholls (Women’s PTWC) will compete in her third Paralympic Games and her first since moving into Para triathlon. Nicholls has previously represented ParalympicsGB in Para athletics and only switched to Para triathlon in 2022.

Another athlete new to the sport who has made the ParalympicsGB team for Paris is Henry Urand (Men’s PTS3). The Loughborough University student made the transition from Para cycling to Para triathlon in 2023 and has qualified for his first Paralympic Games having finished first or second in five of his six international races in the last 12 months.

Speaking on being selected for his first Games, Urand said: “I am honoured to be selected as a part of the Para triathlon team heading out to Paris. It feels surreal at the moment, and not something I thought was possible when I switched to triathlon 15 months ago.

“It means so much being able to go to Paris and showcase Para sport to the world stage. It is extra special that it is a Games that is close to home, where family and friends can come and watch.”

Also making their Games debuts in Paris will be Finley Jakes (Men’s PTS4), Hannah Moore and Megan Richter (both Women’s PTS4), and Oscar Kelly and his guide Charlie Harding in the men’s PTVI classification.

Kelly and Harding also teamed up to represent England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Moore and Richter sharing six medals between them so far this year. Jakes has developed through the British Triathlon system, progressing from taking part in a Talent ID Day, through the pathway and onto the World Class Programme to reach his first Paralympic Games.

Tom Hodgkinson, Head of Paratriathlon at British Triathlon, said of the squad: “To be able to take a large and talented team of athletes and guides to Paris is incredibly exciting for me, British Triathlon and the sport in Britain.

“Across the team we’ve got stories of success, comebacks and personal triumphs. Lauren coming back into the team having taken time away to start her PhD, Alison returning as a mother, and Dave and Luke returning to the top of the sport again after some bad luck in Tokyo really show the people behind the results.

“We’ve also got a strong cohort of athletes who’ve put performances together throughout 2024 to secure qualification. There were a lot of challenges last year which have been overcome and the character demonstrated puts us as a team in a good place moving forwards.

“Everyone in the squad has a fantastic story to tell of this cycle and with a team of people behind them who have helped get them to this point. The coming weeks from our holding camp in France and through to Paris will be an amazing next chapter in those stories and I’m looking forward to shaping and sharing the experience with the selected athletes of ParalympicsGB for Paris 2024.”

Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 said: “I want to congratulate every athlete and guide on this selection milestone as part of the biggest Para triathlon squad to ever represent ParalympicsGB. With the experience of athletes such as Lauren Steadman, Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis combined with some exciting ParalympicsGB debutants this is further proof of the breadth of talent we have across a diverse range of sports as we head towards Paris 2024.”

At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

Sunday 1 September (PTS2-5)

Lauren Steadman (PTS5) – From Peterborough, Trains in London

Claire Cashmore (PTS5) – From Kidderminster, Trains in Loughborough

Michael Taylor (PTS4) – From Barnstaple, Trains in Bristol/Bath

Finley Jakes (PTS4) – From Eastbourne, Trains in Loughborough

Megan Richter (PTS4) – From Birmingham, Trains in Birmingham

Hannah Moore (PTS4) – from Stalbridge, Trains in Loughborough

Henry Urand (PTS3) – from Ashford, Trains in Loughborough

Monday 2 September (PTVI & PTWC)

Dave Ellis (PTVI) – From Derby, Trains in Loughborough

Luke Pollard (guide to Dave Ellis) – From Telford, Trains in Loughborough

Alison Peasgood (PTVI) – From Dunfermline, Trains in Loughborough

Brooke Gillies (guide to Alison Peasgood) – from Fife, Trains in Loughborough

Oscar Kelly (PTVI) – From Redbridge, Trains in Loughborough

Charlie Harding (guide to Oscar Kelly) – From Penrith, Trains in Nottingham

Mel Nicholls (PTWC) – From Tewkesbury, Trains in Tewkesbury/Loughborough

With thanks to ParalympicsGB

The all-female squad features three medal-winning combinations from Tokyo 2020, in addition to the current Para dressage world number one, who will be making her Paralympic Games debut.

Natasha Baker (Grade 3) has been selected for her fourth Games and her second with Keystone Dawn Chorus. As a new partnership in Tokyo, they won team gold, individual silver and freestyle silver, adding to the five golds that Natasha previously won at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Baker, who is contesting her first Games as mother to one-year-old son Joshua, said: “I’m ecstatic to be part of the ParalympicsGB team heading to Paris. A lot has happened since Tokyo – not least the arrival of Joshua – and returning for what will be my fourth Paralympics Games, now as a mother, makes me incredibly proud. To be at the top of my sport again is such an incredible feeling, especially with him as my number one supporter. I’m so grateful to my team for enabling me to go through such an amazing journey over the last couple of years and supporting me more than ever before. I’m really excited for the new challenge and to see what Lottie [Keystone Dawn Chorus] and I can achieve in Paris.”

Mari Durward-Akhurst (Grade 1) will make her Paralympic Games debut in Paris. Previously a team silver medallist at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2019, she now partners experienced horse Athene Lindebjerg, who contested Rio 2016 with Sophie Christiansen to win triple gold.

Durward-Akhurst, who in June became the world number one ranked athlete across all five Para dressage grades, said: “I am so incredibly excited to have been selected for my first Paralympics – it’s a dream come true. I’m honoured to be riding Diane Redfern’s Athene and look forward to us competing together on the world’s biggest stage. I can’t thank everybody enough who has got us to this point.”

Georgia Wilson and Sakura (Grade 2) made their Games debut at Tokyo 2020 following a late call-up from the reserves bench and went on to win individual and freestyle bronze. Since then, their partnership has achieved podium placings at the FEI Para Dressage World Championship 2022 and FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2023.

On her return to the ParalympicsGB squad, Wilson said: “I’m very excited and proud to be selected for Paris 2024 – I can’t believe I get to go to a second Paralympic Games with Sakura. I’m honoured and I can’t wait to go out and try my best in Paris.”

Sophie Wells (Grade 5) is another athlete to make her fourth Games appearance in Paris. She took three golds and three silvers across London 2012 and Rio 2016, followed by team gold and individual silver at Tokyo 2020 with new ride Don Cara M.

Wells, who has represented ParalympicsGB at every Paralympic Games, World Championship and European Championship since 2011, said: “I’m thrilled to be selected for Paris 2024 as my fourth Paralympic Games. It still feels surreal when we get to this point. I’ve been so proud of my horse, Don Cara M, throughout his selection campaign this year and am very grateful to his owner, Rowland Kinch. It’s starting to feel much more real now as we head into the final preparations for the Games.”

While all four combinations will compete for individual honours, three will also contest the team competition. The decision on this will be made before the start of competition in Paris.

Para equestrian’s Team Leader, Georgina Sharples, who is leading the squad for her second Games, commented: “It’s been a very strong campaign for all the British combinations aiming for the Games this year and they certainly didn’t make this an easy decision for the selection panel. However, I must offer my congratulations to Mari, Georgia, Natasha and Sophie for being the chosen four and the achievements that lead them to this point.

“There’s a great balance of experience and potential between our four athletes, and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve when we reach Versailles. The competition from other nations has never been fiercer, but we go to Paris with every intention of challenging for podium placings and hopefully we can do everyone proud.

“None of this would have been possible without the support of our horse owners and the athletes’ home teams, who play such a vital role in our quest for success on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”

Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, said: “I’m very proud that our Para equestrian squad has such a rich history of success on the Paralympic stage and it’s clear Natasha, Georgia, Sophie and Mari – and their horses – are terrific talents. I look forward to seeing them in action in Paris later this summer.”

A total of around 220 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 coming days. At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

The Para equestrian competition will take place from 3–7 September in the scenic grounds of the Château de Versailles, just outside of Paris.

Grade 1: Mari Durward-Akhurst (30) from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with Diane Redfern, Nick Durward-Akhurst and Rob Waine’s Athene Lindebjerg (black, mare, 17yrs, 17hh, Gribaldi x Alberte Lindebjerg, Breeders: Mr and Mrs Bech DEN)

Grade 2: Georgia Wilson (28) from Abergele, North Wales, with Geoff and Julie Wilson and her own Sakura (chestnut, mare, 10yrs, 16hh, Supertramp x Rockstar, Breeder: G. Eilberg GBR)

Grade 3: Natasha Baker (34) from Uxbridge, Middlesex, with Joanna Jensen, Christian Landolt, Phil and Lorraine Baker and her own Keystone Dawn Chorus (bay, mare, 16.1hh, 13yrs, Dimaggio x Escudo 19, Breeder: S. Lavendera GBR)

Grade 5: Sophie Wells (34) from Harby, Lincolnshire, with Rowland Kinch’s Don Cara M (dark bay, gelding, 15yrs, 16.3hh, Don Jovi x Rafurstinels, Breeder: H. M. Melis NED)
Liz Geldard and Beth Revill will act as travelling grooms for the horses in Paris.

With thanks to Paralympics GB

The selected team is ParalympicsGB’s biggest Para canoe squad to compete at a Paralympic Games since the sport made its debut at Rio 2016.

Returning Paralympians Emma Wiggs, Jeanette Chippington, Charlotte Henshaw, Laura Sugar, Rob Oliver, Dave Phillipson and Hope Gordon will be joined by Jack Eyers and Ed Clifton, who make their Paralympic debuts in Paris.

Three-time Paralympic medallist Emma Wiggs heads to the French capital in search of further Games glory this summer. With 12 World Championship titles to her name, Wiggs claimed her first Paralympic title in the KL2 in Rio, before achieving further success at Tokyo 2020, winning gold in the VL2 and KL2 silver.

Multiple world champions Charlotte Henshaw and Laura Sugar also travel to Paris looking to retain their Paralympic crowns, having won Tokyo 2020 gold in the KL2 and KL3 events respectively. Henshaw will be looking for double the success, as she also contests the women’s VL3, which makes its Games debut this summer.

Delighted to be representing ParalympicsGB for her fifth consecutive Games, Henshaw – who competed in Para swimming at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016, said: I’m so happy to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB again. I’m proud and grateful to be part of this amazing Para canoe team again and also the wider ParalympicsGB team. It’s an exciting time in an athlete’s life and even the fifth time it doesn’t get old.

“I’m excited to see the growth of the sport. I’m massively proud of Jack (Eyers) and Ed (Clifton) for making their first Games team. We also have Jeanette (Chippington) going to her eighth so we have a huge amount of experience. I’m really excited to see what we can do as a team out there and hopefully continue our tradition of being a leading Para canoe nation.”

A two-time Paralympic medallist in Para canoe, Jeanette Chippington will be heading to her eighth Games since making her debut in Para swimming at Seoul 1988. The 54-year-old has 14 Paralympic medals to her name across both sports, most recently winning VL2 bronze in Tokyo to add to her KL1 gold from Rio 2016.

Tokyo medallist Rob Oliver is back for his third Paralympics after winning KL3 bronze three years ago, whilst 2024 world silver medallist Dave Phillipson returns in the KL2 for his second Paralympics in Para canoe, having competed in wheelchair tennis for three Games prior to Tokyo.

Doubling up in the KL3 and VL3, Hope Gordon will make her first appearance at a summer Paralympics, after becoming ParalympicGB’s first ever female Para nordic skier at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Making their Paralympic debuts in Paris, two-time world champion Jack Eyers and former shot-put athlete Ed Clifton will also contest the VL3 and VL2 respectively, as the duo complete the nine representing ParalympicsGB in Paris.

Eyers said: “This is a life-long dream of mine. Making it to Paris and getting to call myself a Paralympian means everything to me. I’ve worked incredibly hard the last three years to earn my place on the team and I can’t wait to get out to Paris and showcase what I can do on the biggest stage.”

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB, said: “The strength in depth of this Para canoe squad is testament to the hard work and dedication that every athlete has shown in the build up to Paris 2024. I’m absolutely delighted to welcome all nine athletes to the ParalympicsGB team and look forward to seeing what the squad can achieve on the water in Paris later this summer.”

Chris Furber, Performance Director for Para canoe, said: “I’m thrilled and honoured to be leading such a strong Para canoe team to Paris 2024 this summer. All nine athletes have performed exceptionally well to make this world-leading team for ParalympicsGB. We have a fantastic mix of experience, with Jeanette Chippington competing at her eighth Paralympic Games, as well as the likes of Jack and Ed making their Paralympic debuts.

“There are world medallists within our own team who won’t be with us in Paris, which only goes to highlight our strength in depth as a nation in this sport and the highly competitive environment that the Paralympics have become. We consistently topped the World Championship medal table, and that’s testament to our athletes, but also our staff, who work tirelessly to ensure we head into every competition in a strong position and best prepared.

“Our focus is now on the next few months in the build up to an exciting Games, and the entire team will work really hard to ensure we are ready to perform this summer.”

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 coming 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.

ParalympicsGB Para canoe squad:

Emma Wiggs – VL2 & KL2
Charlotte Henshaw – KL2 & VL3
Laura Sugar – KL3
Jeanette Chippington – KL1 & VL2
Hope Gordon – VL3 & KL3
Dave Phillipson – KL2
Ed Clifton – VL2
Jack Eyers – VL3
Rob Oliver – KL3

With thanks to ParalympicsGB 

With previous representation at the Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, ParalympicsGB has selected an experienced squad for this summer’s Games which take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September.

The selected athletes for Paris 2024 are: Matt Skelhon, Ryan Cockbill, Tim Jeffery (rifle events) and Issy Bailey (pistol).

As the current European and world champion, Skelhon is the most experienced member of the squad having represented ParalympicsGB at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Already the proud owner of three Paralympic medals – he won gold in Beijing followed by silver and bronze in London – the 39-year-old will be looking to add further silverware to his illustrious collection this summer.

Just two years after joining the Great Britain shooting team, Cockbill made his Paralympic debut at London 2012 – he also took part in the torch relay in Birmingham ahead of the Games. He then went on to compete in Rio and Tokyo, with Paris 2024 set to be his fourth Paralympic Games. Cockbill secured his place in the ParalympicsGB team after claiming an impressive R9 gold at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in New Delhi earlier this year.

For Bailey, Paris 2024 will be her third Paralympic Games after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 where she narrowly missed out on a place in the final. The 30-year-old is the only pistol shooter in the squad and also secured her quota spot for the Games at the World Cup in New Delhi alongside Cockbill.

At 28-years-old, Jeffery is the youngest member of the squad and made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016. Five years later, he was selected to represent ParalympicsGB once again at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Jeffery secured his spot for Paris 2024 at last year’s World Championships in Lima where he finished fifth in the R9 event as well as winning silver in the team event alongside Cockbill and James Bevis.

Commenting on his selection for what will be his fifth Paralympic Games, Matt Skelhon, said: “It’s absolutely epic to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB at Paris 2024. I never thought when I started I would be saying that I am going to my fifth Paralympics.

“I’ve been at a high level in the shooting sport for 17 years now, having put in a lot of hard work and still continue to do so. It’s only getting harder to stay at the top with competition always getting higher, but I’m determined to be there as long as I can.

“My recent wins at the European and World Championships prove that I still have what it takes and I’m continuing to train hard with my support team to keep my competitiveness. My experience should help me with the Games environment but it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been it never gets easier to compete – I just feel more comfortable feeling uncomfortable now.”

Shooting Para sport Team Leader, Duncan Tunbridge, said: “This is a team full of experience and brimming with potential. With what will be a combined fifteen Paralympic Games between them, these are athletes who know what it takes to perform on the highest stage.

“As the strength and depth of the sport continues to grow, these athletes have embraced the challenge and continued to improve by being open to new ideas and forging strong relationships with each other and the team around them. Performances in competitions this year have shown the hard work that has been put in is paying off.

“Chateauroux is a venue where the team have been successful before and we look forward to returning there as part of ParalympicsGB to showcase this special sport on a global stage.”
Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission at Paris 2024, added: “We are very proud to announce the selection of the four Paralympic Shooting athletes who will represent ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This squad is incredibly experienced, with each athlete having already competed at multiple Paralympic Games, which will undoubtedly put them in great stead heading into Paris.
“Paris will be a fantastic opportunity for Issy, Matt, Ryan and Tim to once again showcase their talents and for the world to witness the skill of Shooting Para sport. We can’t wait to see them achieve great success in Paris and wish them all the very best of luck.”
Shooting Para sport will be hosted at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre from Friday 30 August to Thursday 5 September with each of Great Britain’s events being mixed gender.
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 coming weeks.

ParalympicsGB Shooting Para sport squad for Paris 2024:

Matt Skelhon
R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone, SH1
R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone, SH1

Ryan Cockbill
R4 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing, SH2
R5 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone, SH2
R6 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone, SH1

Tim Jeffery
R4 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing, SH2
R3 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone, SH1
R9 – Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1

Issy Bailey
P3 – Mixed 25m Pistol, SH1

With thanks to ParalympicsGB

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

Amy Truesdale and Beth Munro both claimed medals when Para taekwondo made its debut at Tokyo 2020 – the pair will travel to the French capital alongside Games debutant Matt Bush, who missed out on competing in Japan due to injury.

Three-time world champion and Paralympic bronze medallist Truesdale, who successfully reclaimed her global title in Mexico last year, said: “I am delighted to be selected for my second Paralympic Games. I am going into the Games in a very good position and am looking forward to showcasing Para taekwondo to the world!”

Liverpool athlete Munro only joined the GB Taekwondo performance programme in the lead up to the Tokyo Games, before going on to secure ParalympicsGB’s first ever Para taekwondo medal when she won silver in Tokyo. The 30-year-old former netball player said: “I am honoured and proud to have been selected to represent my country in my second Paralympic Games. I’m grateful to all those who have supported me on this journey and am very excited to be competing in Paris!”

Two-time world champion Bush – a former shot putter – meanwhile heads to Paris for his first Paralympic Games. The Welshman said: “It’s a big moment to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Games and I’m doing all I can to ensure I will represent the country and sport well.”

Andy Paton, Team Leader for Para taekwondo, said: “Our Paralympic Games team sets a high bar with the three selected athletes performing at the very top of the sport. Matt and Amy go to the Games as world champions and Beth as Tokyo Games silver medallist, so medal success in Paris is not just our hope but our plan. I am proud to be the Team Leader for Para taekwondo at Paris 2024 and following the success of our first experience at the Tokyo Paralympics we are all very excited to be part of what will be a huge celebration of Paralympic sport.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome our trio of Para taekwondo athletes to the ParalympicsGB team for Paris 2024. Amy and Beth excelled on their Paralympic debut at the rescheduled Tokyo Games three years ago, and I’m so pleased for Matt that he will now be able to join them on the biggest stage of all and showcase his incredible talent at the Paralympic Games this summer.”

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.

Para taekwondo squad

Female
-65kg Beth Munro
+65kg Amy Truesdale

Male
+80kg Matt Bush

With thanks to Paralympics GB

The reigning World Champion, who will be competing at her second Games after making her debut in Tokyo, does her strength and conditioning training at the Team Bath Sports Training Village (STV) with the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).

A member of Swindon-based Tigersharks ASC, Hext also does some of her pool training in the London 2012 Legacy Pool at the STV. She is accompanied at poolside and in the high-performance gym by her hearing support dog, Kimmy.

Hext competes in the S5/SB4/SM5 classification and won S5 50m freestyle gold at the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships, as well as 100m freestyle silver. She set the qualification standard for Paris 2024 by swimming well inside the S5 100m freestyle consideration time at last month’s Aquatics GB Swimming Championships.

Follow University of Bath-based athletes on their journey to this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games by visiting teambath.com/Paris-2024.

With thanks to Team Bath