Paralympic News

The Special Olympics European Summer Games

 

Athletes from Great Britain Special Olympics team won 88 medals at the Special Olympics European Summer Games in Warsaw.

 

The 46 competitors took part in athletics, tennis, badminton, power lifting, table tennis and 10-pin bowling.

 

They were among a total number of 1500 athletes from 56 countries who competed in the week-long event in Poland.

 

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Helene comes out of Retirement

Paralympic champion Helene Raynsford has come out of retirement and is named in the GB squad for the World Rowing Championships in New Zealand.

 

Raynsford, the 2008 single sculls gold medallist, retired in April because of a cardiac problem.

 

But she is back in training and will race in the adaptive classes at the event, which starts on 31 October.

 

"The boat is travelling well and hopefully I can still be quick enough internationally," she told BBC Sport.

 

"I still have problems but my cardiac drugs have been altered and I've had a rest and built up my training in a kayak.

 

"I'm doing slightly adjusted training than a rower would normally do but it is helping my heart accept training again and get used to it.

 

"Things are looking good for me but the real question is whether I will be able to stay well enough to compete and race."

 

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GB Medal Haul at Special Olympics

Great Britain's tennis squad of six players has ended the 2010 Special Olympics European Summer Games with a total of seven medals after Thursday saw Zara Jurenko and Michael Clarke pick up gold and silver respectively. 

Jurenko and Clarke medalled in their singles events to add to the mixed doubles gold they won together in Warsaw, Poland.  

Jurenko approached Thursday's last day of tennis competition undefeated in her first two Group 1 women's singles round-robin matches against players from Kazakhstan and Poland.

And the Leicestershire player enhanced her position as the most successful female Special Olympics tennis player by beating Germany's Carmen Lelittko with her third straight sets victory of the week.    

After winning mixed doubles gold with Jurenko on Wednesday, Clarke also went into his last Group 3 men's singles match unbeaten after his opening two matches against Hungarian and German opponents. However, despite putting up a big effort against Monaco's Christophe Mateu, Clarke missed out on the gold medal after Mateu won their match in a deciding third set.

 

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Great Britan finish 6th at World Championships

 

Great Britain have finished outside the medals at the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Canada.

 

However, their sixth-placed finish sees GB, who were ranked ninth in the world before the tournament, move three places up the world rankings.

 

Captain Steve Palmer commented: "It would have been terrific to medal at this event. Our defeats have all been by narrow margins."

The Unites States won the gold medal, beating Australia in the final.

After losing their first three matches, to Canada, Sweden and the USA, Great Britain bounced back to win their next three games, against Germany, Finland and Belgium, before losing to Canada in the fifth/sixth play-off match.

 

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Miller and Jones selected for World Championships

World champion Stephen Miller and teenager Jade Jones will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the IPC Athletics World Championships.

 

Defending champions David Weir, Bev Jones and Dan Greaves are also among a 40-strong squad named for New Zealand.

 

The Worlds, which begin on 21 January, 2011, is the final qualifying event ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games.

 

Paralympic head coach Peter Eriksson said: "We expect to challenge for medals, which is our main priority."

 

Eriksson added that the track and field competition, which will see 1,200 athletes in action, would also offer senior and junior members of the squad a chance to shine.

 

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