Weir, Cockroft, Whitehead, Breen in GB squad for IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha
Friday 24 March 2017 12:52, UK
Six reigning world champions and Sky Academy Scholar Olivia Breen have been named in the 48-strong British squad for the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha next month.
Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, Richard Whitehead, Sophie Hahn, Hollie Arnold and Paul Blake will all be looking to retain the titles they won at the last championships in Lyon two years ago.
However, Jonnie Peacock, the T44 100m world champion, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a sore on his leg.
Six-time Paralympic, World and London Marathon winner David Weir will compete in the team for the first time since winning four gold medals at London 2012 and will compete in the 800m and 1500m.
For the event in Qatar, running October 22-31, 14 athletes will make their senior international debuts including Invictus Games champion Dave Henson and Kare Adenegan, who at 14 is the youngest member of the team.
It is more good news for sprinter Breen who has impressed throughout this summer, recently clocking a personal best 13.42 seconds at the Anniversary Games to win bronze in the T38 100m.
With the 19-year-old also targeting more glory at next year's Rio Games, she has her work cut out as she juggles her efforts across four disciplines - 100m, 200m, long jump and 4 x 100m relay.
The Sky Academy Scholar said: "I'm so happy. This will be my second World Championships and I am really excited.
"I am a lot stronger now so I am hoping that this will be a successful event for me. I have worked so hard all year and have a really supportive team behind me who I am so grateful to, particularly my coaches, Jonas and Julie Dodoo. Hopefully all our hard work will pay off in Doha.
"The events are well spread out in the timetable with my favourite event, the 100m, being first followed by the long jump.
"I ran a personal best in the 200m this year and have really enjoyed the training for it. Preparing for the 200m helps my 100m as it helps the latter half of my race.
"I will put 100 per cent effort into all the events and I actually think competing in so many events will keep my focus through to the end of the championships."
Paralympic head coach Paula Dunn added: "It's a really exciting team. We've got a real mix of athletes who have won medals on the global stage as well as a number of new faces, which is really encouraging looking ahead to the future.
"Doha is a stepping stone for many of the athletes on their respective journeys to Rio, London 2017 and Tokyo 2020. I know the team will leave no stone unturned to deliver the sort of performances that we witnessed in Lyon two years ago."
Full GB squad for the IPC Athletics World Championships:
Kare Adenegan (Job King) T34 100m, 400m, 800m
Hollie Arnold (Anthony Hughes) F46 javelin
Graeme Ballard (Tabo Huntley) T36 100m, 200m
Paul Blake (Robert Ellchuk) T36 400m, 800m
Sam Bowen (Anthony Hughes) F44 discus, shot put
Daniel Bramall (Rick Hoskins) T33 100m
Olivia Breen (Jonas Taiwah-Dodoo) T38 100, 4x100m, Long Jump
Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fuzz Ahmed) T44 high jump
Shaun Burrows (Joseph McDonnell) T38 100m, 400m
Jo Butterfield (Shona Malcolm/Philip Peat) F51 club throw, discus
Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks) T54 100m, 200m, 400m
Libby Clegg (Joseph McDonnell, guide runner: Mikail Huggins) T12 100m, 200m
Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) T34 100m, 400m, 800m
Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) T37 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones) F42 shot put, discus
Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes) F41 shot put, javelin
Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson) F20 shot put
Toby Gold (Jenny Archer) T33 100m
Dan Greaves (John Godina) F44 discus
Thomas Green (Kenneth Green) F32 Club
Kylie Grimes (Philip Peat, Jenni Banks) F51 club throw, T51/T52 100m
Sophie Hahn (Joseph McDonnell) T38 100m, 200m
Claire Harvey (Shelly Holroyd) F55 discus, javelin
Dave Henson (Roger Keller) T42 100m, 200m
Georgina Hermitage (Paul McGregor) T37 100m, 400m
Jordan Howe (Keith Antoine) T35 100m
Abbie Hunnisett (Mark Hunnisett) F32 club throw
Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer) T53 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m
Rhys Jones (Keith Antoine) T37 100m
Sophie Kamlish (Robert Ellchuk) T44 100m
Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin) T53 100m, 400m, 800m
Maria Lyle (Tabo Huntley) T35 100m, 200m
Polly Maton (Colin Baross) T47 long jump
Jenny McLoughlin (Keith Antoine) T37 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) F32 club throw
Tony Mills (Edward Thompson) T44 long jump
Holly Neill (Andrew Roda) F41 discus
Mel Nicholls (Job King) T34 400m, 800m
Steve Osborne (Jenni Banks) T51 100m, 400m
Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood) F32 club throw
Ben Rowlings (Job King) T34 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m
Sam Ruddock (Jim Edwards) F35 shot put
Zachary Shaw (Peter Gifford) T13 100m, 200m
Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) T44 100m, 200m
Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman) T34 200m, 400, 800m
David Weir (Jenny Archer) T54 800m, 1500m
Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine) T42 100m, 200m
