ATHLETES SELECTED FOR WORLD PARA ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS KOBE 2024

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad has been announced for the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan between the 17-25 May 2024.

The team has been selected to fulfil UK Athletics’ aim to provide qualification opportunities and global international competition opportunities to support medal success at the 2024 Paralympic Games only. Therefore, athletes who have obtained a qualification slot through previous allocation method(s) (including by finishing in the top four at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships) were only considered for selection in the exceptional circumstances set out in the Policy.

Reigning world champions Hollie Arnold (Scott Knighton, Blackheath & Bromley), Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Bethan Partridge, Newham and Essex Beagles), Hannah Cockroft (Paul Mosely, Leeds), Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff), Sabrina Fortune (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Deeside) and Dan Pembroke (John Trower, Windsor Slough Eton Hounslow) all join the team competing at the Championships in Japan next month.

Cockroft has won 14 world titles during her career to date having added T34 100m and 800m gold to the collection in Paris last year. She will be going for an unprecedented 15^th and 16^th world title in Kobe.

Five-time world champions Arnold and Davies will continue their preparations for the summer’s Paralympic Games in Paris as they target a defence of their titles.

Broom-Edwards and Fortune are currently two-time world champions in the T64 high jump and F20 shot put respectively – the former the reigning Paralympic champion – so both athletes will be targeting further success next month. Pembroke backed up his Paralympic gold in Tokyo with a world title in 2023, so will be set on repeating that feat in the F13 javelin.

Head of Paralympic Performance, Tom Paulson, said, “This is a unique Championships taking place a couple of months out from the Paralympic Games, with Paris the main focus for athletes this season. However, we have a very strong squad heading out to Japan who will be targeting world success.

“We have selected a team which balances the aims of providing qualification opportunities to achieve quota slots at the Paralympic Games for many athletes on the team, while also supporting those medallists from last year’s Championships who have outlined – whilst satisfying the selection panel – that competing in Kobe at these Championships is a vital part of their preparation for Paris. I am looking forward to seeing how all the athletes perform in Japan next month.”

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, 17-25 May 2024:

Women

Fabienne André (Richard Chiassaro, Harlow AC) – T34 100m and 800m

Hollie Arnold (Scott Knighton, Blackheath & Bromley) – F46 Javelin

Hannah Cockroft (Paul Moseley, Leeds) – T34 100m and 800m

Sabrina Fortune (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Deeside) – F20 Shot Put

Ali Smith (Guildford & Godalming) – T38 100m and 400m

Mel Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) – T54 400m, 800m and 1500m

Men

Columba Blango (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet) – T20 400m

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Bethan Partridge, Newham and Essex Beagles) – T64 High Jump

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff) – F63 Shot Put

Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) – T53 400m and 800m

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby AC) – T54 400m, 800m and 1500m

Owen Miller (Steven Doig, Fife) – T20 1500m

Dan Pembroke (John Trower, Windsor Slough Eton Hounslow) – F13 Javelin

Marcus Perrineau-Daley (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) – T52 100m

Kevin Santos (Mike Utting, City of Norwich) – T47 100m

Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste, Cleethorpes) – T12 100m

Harrison Walsh (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Swansea) – F64 Discus

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) – T38 100m