2022/23 PARALYMPIC WORLD CLASS PROGRAMME COHORT ANNOUNCED

39 athletes have been nominated for membership to join the UK Athletics Paralympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2022/23.

The Paralympic WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative supporting the delivery of success at named milestone targets, namely outdoor track World and European championships, and the Paralympic Games. The WCP is split into several levels reflecting the actual and potential performance levels of athletes: Podium, Podium Potential and Confirmation.

Athletes are nominated for the WCP to further the aim of UK Athletics to win medals at the 2024 and/or 2028 Paralympic Games. UKA are committed to the principle that winning will always be achieved with integrity and in line with UK Sport’s ambition of ‘Keep Winning and Win Well’.

Therefore, UK Athletics must be confident that any athlete nominated for the WCP has the realistic potential and demonstrable performance capability and capacity to make the necessary progress to achieve a medal at least in one of the next two Paralympic Games.

Seven reigning Paralympic champions including Daniel Pembroke (coach: David Turner, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) and Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) are included on Podium level funding once again.

Meanwhile, after a superb 2022 season which has seen him set personal bests across several events, and where he has also claimed Commonwealth silver in the T54 1500m, Daniel Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) progresses from Confirmation level to Podium Potential.

Additionally, six athletes have been added at Confirmation – this level is designed to support athletes in their first 1-2 years of inclusion in high-performance programmes, to provide a period through which the potential of the athlete is explored and confirmed.

Five of these athletes have previously been supported on the Futures Academy Programme, so they are continuing their progression along the UK Athletics Paralympic Pathway.

John Bridge (Darrell Maynard, Cardiff), who won European T47 400m silver in 2021, joins at this level, as does Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) who won Commonwealth silver in Birmingham and also finished third at the London Marathon recently.

Commonwealth T47 100m champion, Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (Joe McDonnell and Nat Senior, Newham and Essex Beagles) is also added, as is Ethan Kirkby (Sonya Ellis, Newton Abbot) and Steven Stone (Gary Manson, Forth Valley Flyers), while T52 athlete Marcus Perrineau-Daley (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) joins the pathway for the first time.

As per previous years, the nomination for WCP membership is subject to UK Sport ratification and a signed athlete agreement between the athlete and UKA.

Tom Paulson, Head of Paralympic Performance at UK Athletics, commented, “The Paralympic Programme is in a strong position as we head towards Paris 2024 and LA 2028. It is also good to see athletes graduating along the Pathway from the Futures Academy on to the World Class Programme.

“It has been a different year for many athletes as they have not had a major Championships / Games this summer, however, they have remained focused and will be concentrating on the prospect of qualifying for the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris next July.

“We have an exciting and important period coming up for the sport, and I’m looking forward to working with the athletes and coaches to make sure they have the required support provided by the WCP to be in the best position to achieve success in Paris and / or Los Angeles.”

The British Athletics Paralympic WCP Athletes for 2022/23:

Paralympic Podium (18):

Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry)

Hollie Arnold (David Turner, Blackheath and Bromley)

Columba Blango (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore, City of Portsmouth)

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Bethan Partridge, Newham and Essex Beagles)

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks, Harlow)

Hannah Cockroft (Leeds)

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff)

David Devine (Tony Clarke, Liverpool Harriers)

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson, Deeside AAC)

Dan Greaves (Zane Duquemin, Charnwood)

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood)

Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star)

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie, Team East Lothian)

Owen Miller (Steven Doig, Fife)

Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff, Charnwood)

Daniel Pembroke (David Turner, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood)

Paralympic Podium Potential (12):

Lydia Church (Peterborough & Nene Valley)

Nathan Maguire (Steven Hoskins, Kirkby)

Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman, Gateshead)

Derek Rae (Steven Doig, Fife)

Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste, Cleethorpes)

Daniel Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District)

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore, Loughborough Students)

Ali Smith (Benke Blomkvist, Guildford and Godalming)

JohnBoy Smith (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District)

Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher, Taunton)

Harrison Walsh (Nathan Stephens, Swansea)

David Weir (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy)

Paralympic Confirmation (9):

Fabienne André (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy)

John Bridge (Darrell Maynard, Cardiff)

Ethan Kirby (Sonya Ellis, Newton Abbot)

Luke Nuttall (Alison Wyeth, Charnwood)

Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (Joe McDonnell and Nat Senior, Newham and Essex Beagles)

Marcus Perrineau-Daley (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy)

Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy)

Steven Stone (Gary Manson, Forth Valley Flyers)

Melanie Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star)