Wales’ Trio Of World Champions Set To Defend Their Para Crowns

By Owen Morgan

Current World Champions Aled Davies, Hollie Arnold and Olivia Breen will lead a seven-strong Welsh contingent heading to the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.

Wales’ golden trio will be joined – on November 7 to 15 – by WPA European Champions Sabrina Fortune and Harri Jenkins, along with Disability Sport Wales Para Academy athletes Kyron Duke and Jordan Howe.

Two-time Paralympic Champion Davies, will be heading for his fifth World Championships where he will compete in the F63 shot put.

The multiple global gold medallist and world record holder is one of the stand-out names in the 43-strong GB team announced today, which also includes the likes of Richard Whitehead, Jonnie Peacock and Hannah Cockroft.

Davies’ Welsh fellow world record holder and Commonwealth Games champion Arnold, of Blackheath and Bromley, will compete in the F46 Javelin at the championships which will run from November 7 to 15.

The 25-year-old, is looking for a fourth world title and the world record.

“It’s going to be hard,” said Arnold. “I want to go out there and break the world record and take that gold medal and get that fourth world title.

“It’s a stepping stone for Tokyo for me as well, so I just want to go out there and enjoy myself more than anything.”

Arnold says she thrives on performing at the highest level.

“I feel in my element going out there on the track and being on that runway. It’s where I belong.

“So I kind of do everything else ready for that and somehow my brain just trains itself to go out there and go and smash it every single time.”

City of Portsmouth Athlete Breen, who earlier this summer set a new T38 long jump personal best and Commonwealth record, will also compete in the 100m.

The 23-year-old won gold in the T35-38 4x100m relay at the 2015 World Championships and gold in the T38 long jump at the 2017 games in London.

F20 category shot-putter Fortune, of Deeside AC, won her European title in Berlin last year, as did DSW Para Academy athlete Jenkins.

Olivia Breen. Pic: Owen Morgan.

The Neath-based athlete, who is a former Great Britain wheelchair basketball international, will line up in the T33 100m out in Dubai.

Another DSW Para Academy competing over the sprint distance to make the team is Jordan Howe, who will take to the blocks in the T35 100m.

The Welsh line up is completed by F41 shot putter Duke, who earlier this season broke the world record at the Bayer Invitational in Leverkusen, Germany.

The two-time world silver medallist put himself in pole position for gold this time round with the throw of 14.19m in June. Earlier in the season he threw an unofficial record of 14.53 in Leira, Portugal.

A spokesperson for Disability Sport Wales’ performance pathway team said of the large Welsh contingent, “We are delighted that seven Welsh Athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.

“The world champs are the last global opportunity before Tokyo and we’re really excited that we have representation from Wales representing GB at the international stage.”

Sabrina Fortune. Pic: Owen Morgan.

The spokesperson added that there was plenty of young Welsh talent emerging through the system for future championships.

“The para sport landscape is continually changing and it’s an exciting time in Wales with a strong number of athletes coming through our ever evolving pathway programme, who we’re sure will be representing their country one day.”

British Athletics’ Para Athletics head coach, Paula Dunn MBE, said: “We enjoyed our best ever world championships at the biggest edition of the event in London two years ago, but we are not complacent.

“Para Athletics is ever evolving and athletes from all countries have continued to improve since then. I expect our team to step-up and show their ability on the international stage.”

The British Athletics team for the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai to be held between 7-15 November 2019:

 

Women:

Kare Adenegan (Job King; Coventry) – T34 100m & 800m

Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley) – F46 Javelin

Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea; Stevenage & North Herts) – T20 Long Jump

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth) – T38 Long Jump & 100m

Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm; Forth Flyers) – F51 Club Throw

Lydia Church (Jim Edwards; Nene Valley) – F12 Shot Put

Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) [Guide Runner: Thomas Somers (Benke Blomkvist; Newham & Essex Beagles)] – T11 200m & Universal 4x100m relay

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks; Leeds) – T34 100m & 800m

Kadeena Cox (Matt Cullen; Sale Harriers Manchester) – T38 200m & 400m

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside AAC) – F20 Shot Put

Kayleigh Haggo (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – RR3 100m

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste; Charnwood) – T38 100m, 200m & Universal 4x100m relay

Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk; Bristol & West) – T64 100m

Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – T53 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie; Team East Lothian) – T35 100m & 200m

Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman; Gateshead) – F35 Shot Put

Stef Reid (Aston Moore; Charnwood) – T64 Long Jump

Ellie Simpson (Jessica Davidson; Sheffield & Dearne) – RR3 100m

Ali Smith (Chris Zah; Guildford & Godalming) – T38 100m, 400m & Universal 4x100m relay

Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher; Taunton) – T20 1500m

Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey) – F34 Shot Put

 

Men:

Ola Abidogun (Grant Barker; Horwich) – T47 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk; Dorchester) – T36 400m & 800m

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft; Newham & Essex Beagles) – T64 High Jump

Mickey Bushell (Rick Hoskins; Birchfield) – T53 100m

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow) – T54 100m, 400m, 800m & 1500m

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones; Cardiff) – F63 Shot Put

Gavin Drysdale (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – RR3 100m

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy) – F41 Shot Put

Jordan Howe (Kevin Williams; DSW Para Academy) – T35 100m

Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy) – T33 100m

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins; Kirkby AC) – T54 100m, 400m, 800m & Universal 4x100m relay

Owen Miller (Steven Doig; Fife) – T20 1500m

Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff; Charnwood) – T64 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Ben Rowlings (Ian Mirfin; Coventry) – T34 100m, 400m & 800m

Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller; Bournemouth) – T63 Long Jump & T61 200m

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore; Loughborough Students) – T13 Long Jump & Universal 4x100m relay

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins; Stockport) – T33 100m

Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood; Sheffield & Dearne) – RR3 100m

Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman; Kirkby AC) – T34 400m & 800m

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine; Southwell) – T61 200m

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) – T38 100m