Roberts and Kindred Withdraw from Europeans

Paralympic Champions Dave Roberts and Sascha Kindred have been forced to withdraw from the IPC Swimming European Championships due to injuries.

Roberts, who suffered from an elbow injury earlier this year, has been undergoing tests and has been forced to pull out due to a tricep tear and compression of the ulna nerve following a training accident.

World Champion Kindred has been advised to take the time to heal and recover from on-going back problem after a series of MRI scans.

National Performance Director John Atkinson said: “While 2011 is an important year for the programme, the main goal for this four year cycle is London next year.

“British Swimming are now ensuring that both athletes have a personalized strategy in place to make speedy recoveries so that they can commence training at the start of next season in order to fully prepare and achieve their goals for the London Paralympics.”

Roberts said: “I am massively disappointed to be missing the European Championships due to injury, after such an unfortunate accident whilst training. It was the final chance to test myself against the best in the world in Germany before the London Paralympic Games.

“Everything now points towards preparing meticulously with my coach Peter Key for London 2012. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete at a home Paralympic Games and for me personally I’m aiming to win my 12th Paralympic Gold, which would be a dream come true.”

Kindred commented: “I am obviously really disappointed not to be able to attend the Europeans but I feel that with my ongoing back problem competing at such a high level would have been detrimental for my recovery and my focus now will be on London 2012.”