Para athletes selected for World Class Performance Programme

British Athletics has announced the names of the 49 Para athletes to be offered membership to their World Class Programme (WCP) for 2017/2018, on 10 November.

The WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative to support the delivery of success at the world’s most significant sporting events, such as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Para athletes offered membership of the WPC should, according to British Athletics, be a realistic potential 2020 or 2024 Paralympic medallist.

This year, a total of 31 British Para athletes have been offered the highest Paralympic Podium membership, with a further 18 put forward as Paralympic Podium Potential.

Seven Para athletes have moved up to Paralympic Podium funding, including London 2017 World champions Sammi Kinghorn, Sophie Kamlish and Olivia Breen.

Kinghorn, 21, won two golds and a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in July, setting a new 200m T53 world record in the process. Kamlish was also in record-breaking form as she struck gold in the women’s 100m T44, getting the better of the Netherlands’ defending champion Marlou van Rhijn.

Breen meanwhile won her first individual world title with victory and a new personal best in the women’s long jump T38.

Debutants on the Paralympic Podium Potential level include Martina Barber, Luke Sinnott and Zak Skinner, who each made their first appearance in a British vest this year.

Barber finished fourth in the women’s long jump T20 in London, while Sinnott and Skinner also just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s long jump T42 and long jump T13 respectively.

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said:

“On the back of the most successful World Para Athletics Championships in the modern era, and achieving our medal targets and finishing fourth in the placings table at the IAAF World Championships this summer, our World Class Programme reflects upon the criteria for medal potential as we progress through the Tokyo cycle ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.

“I’d like to thank the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued investment in the World Class Programme. The support enables our athletes to be the best prepared in their quest for success in the coming years as we build to towards the 2020 and 2024 Games.”

Paralympic Podium: Kare Adenegan; Hollie Arnold; Paul Blake; Olivia Breen; Jonathan Broom-Edwards; Mickey Bushell; Jo Butterfield; Richard Chiassaro; Libby Clegg; Hannah Cockroft; Kadeena Cox; Aled Davies; Kyron Duke; Sabrina Fortune; Toby Gold; Dan Greaves; Sophie Hahn; David Henson; Georgie Hermitage; Jordan Howe; Sophie Kamlish; Sammi Kinghorn; Maria Lyle; Stephen Miller; Jonnie Peacock; Gemma Prescott; Stef Reid; Andrew Small; Isaac Towers; Richard Whitehead

Paralympic Podium Potential: Martina Barber; Craig Boardman; Dan Bramall; Shaun Burrows; Kylie Grimes; Mo Jomni; Rhys Jones; Nathan Maguire; Polly Maton; Stephen Morris; Derek Rae; Ben Rowlings; Zac Shaw; Luke Sinnott; Zak Skinner; Laura Sugar; Vanessa Wallace; Eve Walsh-Dann

Full story is available on British Athletics’ website.