Paralympic News

Britain's Paralympic champion Tom Aggar totally dominated the Paralympic-class single scull final to win gold at the World Championships in New Zealand.

"It feels fantastic", said Aggar, who won by 13 seconds on Thursday.

 

The GB mixed adaptive coxed four of Kate Jones, Ryan Chamberlain, James Roe and Kelsie Gibson, coxed by Rhiannon Jones, just lost their final.

 

Helene Raynsford was withdrawn from the women's single scull final because of breathing problems.

 

The 30-year-old reigning women's Paralympic champion is back competing at the highest level after briefly retiring earlier this year because of a heart condition.

 

In the mixed adaptive coxed four final, Great Britain led until the last 100m when Canada went past and held on to win by half a second.

 

"I wasn't sure where we had finished as we crossed the line", said Kate Jones. "They were better than us on the day and it was a good race."

 

Crew members Gibson, 17, and Chamberlain both emerged as part of a British Paralympic Association and GB Rowing Team talent identification and development scheme.

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Weir Wins New York Marathon

Paralympic champion David Weir claimed his first New York Marathon wheelchair title after edging out Japan's Masazumi Soejima in a thilling finish.

 

The 31-year-old Briton surged past last year's runner-up in the final 200 metres to win in a time of one hour 37 minutes 29 seconds.

The pair had broken away from the rest of the field around the 18-mile mark.

But there was disappointment for Shelly Woods who could only finish seventh in the women's wheelchair race.

It was won by American Tatyana McFadden from compatriots Christina Ripp and Amanda McGrory.

In the men's race, defending champion Kurt Fearnley took an early lead before London Marathon winner Josh Cassidy took over but Weir was never too far away from the action.

Fearnley's challenge faded and Weir and Soejima broke away to fight it out for the win between them and it was the Briton who proved strongest in the push to the line.

 

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Prestigious honour for archers Dani and John

English Paralympic archers Danielle Brown and John Stubbs have won prestigious awards at the 29th annual Commonwealth Sports Awards.
 
Dani, who became the first disabled athlete ever to compete for England in an able-bodied event in India, won the Outstanding Female Athlete with Disability award.
 
And Paralympic gold medallist and former world champion John was awarded Outstanding Male Athlete with Disability.
 
“It is absolutely great news for Dani and John, and once again I am both delighted for them, and very proud,” said GB Paralympic Coach Tim Hazell.
 
“They both thoroughly deserve such high profile recognition, and they have both worked very hard to get where they are today, and this is a reward of that.
 
“John won three medals at the European championships, and just missed out on qualification for the Commonwealth Games earlier in the year, but as ever he continues to compete and perform at the highest level.
 
“Dani’s achievements this year have been well documented, and not only did she qualify for the Commonwealths, she came back with a team gold medal.
 
“But yet again she has starred in Paralympic events, broken world records, and now, like John, is focussing on the London Paralympic Games in 2012.”
 
The awards were announced at a gala dinner at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

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Search for future Paralympians comes to Sheffield

Over 50 disabled people with ambitions of representing their country at a Paralympic Games will come to Sheffield this Wednesday (November 10), to see if they have the potential to be a future Paralympian.

The attendees will be put through their paces by coaches from numerous Paralympic sports in the hopes of emulating the success of other Yorkshire Paralympians, such as Sheffield-based table tennis player Will Bayley and York’s Danielle Brown.

“We are thrilled that we have had such a high level of interest in our talent day”, said Chief Executive Phil Lane.  “We will have people travelling from all across the country to Sheffield for the opportunity to impress coaches from our Paralympic sports.  

“We will have representatives present from both winter and summer sports, so who knows? We could find a future star of Sochi in 2014 or Rio in 2016 right here in Sheffield.”

Several applicants for the day have come from Battle Back, the Ministry of Defence’s programme for the rehabilitation of injured servicemen and women.  For the majority of Battle Back attendees, the day provides an opportunity to find out more about disability sport, although some have taken up competitive sports and are currently training with GB squads.

ParalympicsGB has held talent ID days since 2007, and they have proven successful so far with between 40-50% of attendees being identified as having talent and around 30 individuals identified through the days currently training on sports’ programmes.

2012 sponsor Cadbury are supporting the talent day and are supplying employee volunteers.

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