Twelve welsh athletes have been named in a 56-strong GB & NI team sponsored by Sainsbury’s heading to the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea on 18-23 August.
The Commonwealth Games Team Wales captain Aled Sion-Davies MBE has started the season in imperious form claiming a world record in the Discus which has stood for the last 12 years. The Paralympian will have his eyes focused on a place on top of the podium at the Swansea University International Sports Village after competing at Glasgow.
Other athletes making the journey from Glasgow to Swansea are Olivia Breen, Beverley Jones and Rhys Jones. All are competing at the Commonwealth Games this month (24th July -3rd August) and will be hoping to take good results and form into the IPC European Championships.
Sky Sports Scholar Breen had a meteoric rise at the London 2012 Paralympic games winning Bronze in the T35-T38 4 x 100m relay. The teenager will be hoping to achieve podium success in both the T38 100m and Long jump in Swansea. Beverley Jones has concentrated more on throwing events recently and will compete for medals in both the F37 discus and shot put. Medal contender Rhys Jones will compete in the T37 100m in Glasgow but will add the 200m for Swansea.
Paralympic and world F51 discus champion and world record holder Josie Pearson is among another big contingent of Welsh-based athletes in the team, which also includes world F46 javelin champion Hollie Arnold who has added nearly three metres to her personal best in 2014.
Among one of the new names on the team is Bradley Wigley who is among 15 athletes, who will make their first GB & NI appearance in a senior team in Swansea. Nathan Stephens, Jordan Howe, Kyron Duke and Laura Sugar complete the line of Welsh athletes competing on home soil.
Jon Morgan, Executive Director of Disability Sport Wales said, "We are delighted that 12 welsh athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain at the forthcoming IPC European Championships. I am sure it will be a special moment for them to compete in front of a home crowd as it will be for the spectators who will be turning out to support their local heroes."
The Paralympic Head Coach Paula Dunn talked of the importance of Swansea 2014 stating: “The IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea is vitally important in the development of the team over the course of the next few years. There are a number of familiar faces once again in the team, but also what is encouraging is the emerging talent breaking into the ranks, which puts us in a really strong position moving forwards.
“It’s another home championships for the team and it will be great to get the support of not only the local Welsh community, but also the rest of the British public coming from further afield. We saw how much a home crowd spurred on the athletes in London, and it would be great to give the team another rapturous welcome in South Wales,” added Dunn, who will lead the GB & NI team sponsored by Sainsbury’s in Swansea.
Welsh athletes selected in the GB & NI team for the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea (18-23 August):
Hollie Arnold (Anthony Hughes) - F46 javelin
Olivia Breen (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) - T38 100m, long jump
Aled Davies (Anthony Hughes) - F42 shot put, discus
Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes) - F41 shot put, javelin
Jordan Howe (Keith Antoine) - T35 100m, 200m
Beverley Jones (Dave Caldecourt) - F37 discus, shot put
Rhys Jones (Keith Antoine) - T37 100m, 200m
Jenny McLoughlin (Keith Antoine) – T37 100m, 200m
Josie Pearson (Anthony Hughes) – F51 club throw, discus
Nathan Stephens (Anthony Hughes) - F57 javelin, discus
Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) - T44 100m, 200m, long jump
Bradley Wigley (Jane Coia) – T38 100m & 200m
To purchase tickets for the IPC European Championships in Swansea, please visit http://www.paralympic.org/swansea-2014/tickets
