Aled Davies Wants To Follow Para Dominance With Commonwealth Glory

Aled Davies has revealed he wants to compete for Wales at the Commonwealth Games after conquering the World Para Athletics Championships.

The Welshman is looking to the future – and competing against able-bodied athletes – after reflecting on his gold medal in London on Sunday night.

Davies won Great Britain’s seventh gold of the Championships on its third day with victory in the F42 discus.

He is now a five-time world champion, having won shot and discus events at the last two World Championships.

Davies burst to prominence with victory in the F42 discus at London 2012, but the event was removed from the Paralympic programme for Rio.

He focused on the shot put and won his second Paralympic gold in Brazil.

Davies, whose impairment affects his right leg, won a third straight discus world title with a best throw of 51.54 metres and is now aiming for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“We’ll be aiming towards able-bodied Commonwealths over the next few years,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“That’s the long-term goal. I think the Olympics would be a bit out of reach.”

The Welsh champion believes the 2022 Commonwealth Games is a more realistic target than next year’s event on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“The Commonwealth Games are just an aspiration. You’ve got to have something to aim for. Everyone is always ‘Ahh, you are so far ahead, what are you doing? How do you keep motivated?’ I can be on the able-body circuit because I want to be in conditions where I am chasing other people. It’s hard to be out there and lead the way.”

“Since 2012 I knew if I wanted to take the sport to a new level and compete with able-bodied guys, that was the focus.

“We really pushed the shot put. I won the Welsh able-bodied Championships. I was delighted with that. That’s something not many people have done. We’ll be aiming towards able-bodied Commonwealths over the next few years.”

Tom Habscheid of Luxembourg was second with 46.83m and Dechko Ovcharov of Bulgaria took bronze with 39.22.

Wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft won Britain’s first gold on Friday night, with five more following on Saturday’s second day.

Davies is now turning his immediate attention to Saturday’s shot put competition.

“I’m in good shape, really strong. I think I can throw 18 metres next Saturday and really bury the comp,” he said.