COVENTRY SET TO HOST PARALYMPIC AND WORLD MEDALLISTS AT SPRING MEET

The Coventry Spring Meet will host a high-quality field this weekend as Britain’s leading para athletes open their 2021 season.

Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Libby Clegg and Kadeena Cox will be among those in action across the weekend.

Hannah Cockroft (coach: Jenni Banks; Leeds) and Kare Adenegan (Job King; Coventry) will both go in the 100m and 800m at the Warwick University Track, as well as additional distances. Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins; Red Star) will also join the wheelchair fields over several distances, as will Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow) in the men’s events.

In the field, F20 world champion Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside) will be in action in the shot put, as will Anna Nicholson (Richard Kaufman; Gateshead) who finished fourth in the F35 final in Dubai. Meanwhile Polly Maton (Team Devizes) continues her return to action in the long jump and the ambulant 100m.

Reigning Paralympic and 2017 T38 400m world champion Kadeena Cox (Joe McDonnell; Sale Harriers Manchester) goes in the ambulant 100m, 200m and 400m, while fellow 2017 gold medallist Sophie Kamlish competes in the ambulant 100m. Double Paralympic champion Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) will compete in the ambulant 200m.

World champion Kayleigh Haggo (John Owens; Ayr Seaforth) leads the field in the 100m Framerunning race, taking on fellow world medallist, Ellie Simpson (Jessica Davidson; Sheffield and Dearne). In the men’s race, world silver medallist Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood; Sheffield and Dearne) heads the entrants.

The European F34 shot put champion Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield and Haringey) competes for the first time since 2019, and she will be looking for a solid start ahead of a summer season which includes the WPA European Championships and the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Paralympic T33 100m silver medallist Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins; Stockport) will take on Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy), the 2-3 from Dubai in late 2019.

Alongside the para fields will be 400m guest races including several athletes who will be competing at the World Athletics Relays next weekend. Among them are Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley) and Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West) in the women’s field, and Charlie Dobson (Benke Blomkvist; Colchester), Efe Okoro (Tony Hadley; Birchfield), Martyn Rooney (Nick Dakin; Croydon), Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne) and Rabah Yousif Bhkeit (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles) in the men’s race entries.