25th May 2023
FAST TIMES LAID DOWN ON DAY ONE OF WPA GP IN NOTTWIL
Day one of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland [25-27 May] started well for the British contingent.
Fresh from a T34 200m world record in Arbon last weekend, Hannah Cockroft (coach: Paul Moseley, club: Leeds) went close to lowering that time once again as she posted a time of 28:98 (1.0), just 0.08 outside her WR time.
She returned to the track in the 800m, again pushing well to a time of 1:49.12.
In the same race, Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) and Fabienne André (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) – both of whom clocked personal bests over the distance in Arbon – again earned some of their quickest ever times over two laps. Adenegan was second behind Cockroft in 1:59.47, another sub two-minute time, while André crossed the line in 2:07.81.
After breaking the British T54 800m record in Arbon, Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby) was back on the track in currently one of the most competitive races in world para-athletics. Danny Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District), who also went inside the previous British record last week, was involved in the same race, and both Brits pushed to some of the fastest times ever in the class.
Sidbury finished ahead of Maguire on this occasion, placing third overall in 1:29.01 to Maguire’s 1:29.55. Both British athletes are in excellent form ahead of July’s World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
In a separate heat, David Weir (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) continues to show impressive form as he clocked a time of 1:31.79.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) set her second fastest ever time in the 800m as she pushed to a time of 1:47.55 in the women’s T54 races. Paralympian Mel Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star), in a different heat clocked 1:52.61.
In the ambulant races on the track, reigning world champion Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie, Team East Lothian) ran a time of 31.30 (0.7) in the 200m to continue her consistent form in 2023.
A live stream of the event can be found here.