British Athletics has today confirmed the 43 athletes selected to compete at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai which are being held from the 7-15 November 2019.

The team contains 11 world champions from London 2017, including 10-time world champion Hannah Cockroft (coach: Jenni Banks; club: Leeds), Grand Slam champions Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley) and Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste; Charnwood), and two-time Paralympic gold-medallists Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones; Cardiff), Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff; Charnwood) and Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine; Southwell).

Also among the returning world champions from two years ago are Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth), Kadeena Cox (Matt Cullen; Sale Harriers Manchester), Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk; Bristol & West), Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) and Stef Reid (Moore; Charnwood) – female athletes were among 59% of the British medallists at the championships in London and will be eyeing more success at the 2019 edition.

Making her return to the track after the birth of her son, Edward, in April, is double Paralympic champion Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood), who will be guided by Thomas Somers. Taking on the T11 200m, Clegg will kick start her road to the Tokyo Paralympic Games at her first major championships for Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 2016.

Last year, Thomas Young (McDonnell; Charnwood) blew away the competition to win double gold at the WPA European Championships in Germany and will be targeting a place on the podium at the worlds in the T38 100m.

Three other individual maiden champions from Berlin, Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside), Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy) and Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey), will go in the women’s F20 shot put, men’s T33 100m and women’s F34 shot put respectively.

The Race Running event makes its debut at the World Para Athletics Championships after starring at the Europeans last year. The British team secured two titles and four medals on that occasion, and the contingent will be aiming for a similar result in 2019. Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood; Sheffield & Dearne) and Kayleigh Haggo (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) will headline the RR3 100m, with European champion Gavin Drysdale (Mirfin; Red Star) and Ellie Simpson (Jessica Davidson; Sheffield & Dearne) also among the best in the world over the discipline.

Sprinter Ola Abidogun (Grant Barker; Horwich) earns his first British vest since the IPC European Championships in Swansea back in 2014. The 2012 Paralympic silver medallist, who balances a career as a solicitor alongside his athletics, will make a welcome return to the world stage in Dubai in the T47 100m and as part of the Universal 4x100m relay squad.

There will be senior debuts for four athletes with T20 1500m racers Owen Miller (Steven Doig; Fife) and Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher; Taunton) – both on the British Athletics Futures Academy Programme – qualifying for the men’s and women’s events respectively. Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman; Gateshead) earns her first senior cap in the F35 shot put while Lydia Church (Jim Edwards; Nene Valley) secures a slot in the F12 shot put.

British Athletics’ Para Athletics Head Coach, Paula Dunn MBE, commented:

“I am delighted to be able to select a team of 43 for the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. The event is a key competition in the cycle as well the final opportunity to take on the best in the world at a global championship before Tokyo, and I’m really excited to see how this team performs in two months’ time.

“Alongside this, we have four athletes making their senior debuts for the British squad and I’m very pleased to see them joining this team after demonstrating they are ready for this level of competition. It is testament to their hard work and progress during the season.”

She added: “We enjoyed our best ever world championships at the biggest edition of the event in London two years ago, but we are not complacent. Para Athletics is ever evolving and athletes from all countries have continued to improve since then. I expect our team to step-up and show their ability on the international stage.”

The British Athletics team for the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai to be held between 7-15 November 2019:

Women:

Kare Adenegan (Job King; Coventry) – T34 100m & 800m

Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley) – F46 Javelin

Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea; Stevenage & North Herts) – T20 Long Jump

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth) – T38 Long Jump & 100m

Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm; Forth Flyers) – F51 Club Throw

Lydia Church (Jim Edwards; Nene Valley) – F12 Shot Put

Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) [Guide Runner: Thomas Somers (Benke Blomkvist; Newham & Essex Beagles)] – T11 200m & Universal 4x100m relay

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks; Leeds) – T34 100m & 800m

Kadeena Cox (Matt Cullen; Sale Harriers Manchester) – T38 200m & 400m

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside AAC) – F20 Shot Put

Kayleigh Haggo (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – RR3 100m

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste; Charnwood) – T38 100m, 200m & Universal 4x100m relay

Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk; Bristol & West) – T64 100m

Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – T53 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie; Team East Lothian) – T35 100m & 200m

Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman; Gateshead) – F35 Shot Put

Stef Reid (Aston Moore; Charnwood) – T64 Long Jump

Ellie Simpson (Jessica Davidson; Sheffield & Dearne) – RR3 100m

Ali Smith (Chris Zah; Guildford & Godalming) – T38 100m, 400m & Universal 4x100m relay

Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher; Taunton) – T20 1500m

Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey) – F34 Shot Put

Men:

Ola Abidogun (Grant Barker; Horwich) – T47 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk; Dorchester) – T36 400m & 800m

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft; Newham & Essex Beagles) – T64 High Jump

Mickey Bushell (Rick Hoskins; Birchfield) – T53 100m and Universal 4x100m relay

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow) – T54 100m, 400m, 800m & 1500m

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

Gavin Drysdale (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) – RR3 100m

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy) – F41 Shot Put

Jordan Howe (Kevin Williams; DSW Para Academy) – T35 100m

Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy) – T33 100m

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins; Kirkby AC) – T54 100m, 400m, 800m & Universal 4x100m relay

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

Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff; Charnwood) – T64 100m & Universal 4x100m relay

Ben Rowlings (Ian Mirfin; Coventry) – T34 100m, 400m & 800m

Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller; Bournemouth) – T63 Long Jump & T61 200m

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore; Loughborough Students) – T13 Long Jump & Universal 4x100m relay

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins; Stockport) – T33 100m

Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood; Sheffield & Dearne) – RR3 100m

Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman; Kirkby AC) – T34 400m & 800m

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine; Southwell) – T61 200m

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