26th May 2017

PARALYMPIC CHAMPIONS COMPETING IN BEDFORD AND ARBON THIS WEEKEND

It is a busy weekend for the country’s best para athletes with world record holders Sophie Hahn (coach: Joe McDonnell) and Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) among those in action in Bedford and Arbon respectively, and many more.

At the England Athletics combined events championships in Bedford, a number of Parallel Success races have been incorporated into the event, seeing some of the country’s best para athletes take to the track.

Fresh from setting the quickest time ever in the T38 100m in Loughborough last weekend, Hahn returns to the track as she continues her preparations for the World Para Athletics Championships.

There will be a welcome return to competition for Georgie Hermitage (Paul McGregor) after injury, who will contest the T37 100m – an event she won Paralympic gold in last September.

Double Paralympic champion, Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff) ramps up his outdoor season with an appearance over 100m in Bedford after a seaons’s best of 10.76 at the Loughborough International last week.

Others to watch out for include Olivia Breen (Aston Moore) who continues a remarkable start to 2017 with lifetime bests in the long jump and 100m. She will race over the latter discipline at this event.

Zak Skinner (David Hull), a visually impaired athlete, who has been in fine form in recent weeks, lowered his 100m personal best to 11.24 last weekend. James Arnott (Ryan Freckleton), Jordan Howe (Christian Malcolm) and Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell) will also seek further improvements after PBs recently, with Rhys Jones (Malcolm) marking his first race back since Rio at the Bedford International athletics stadium.

Elsewhere, our in-form wheelchair racers compete at the Swiss Nationals on Saturday and Sunday after impressive results at the Daniela Jutzeler Memorial event on Thursday.

After two world records in the T34 100m and 400m, Cockroft faces four events over the two days; adding the 200m and 800m to the schedule.

Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin), Toby Gold (Jenni Banks) and Ben Rowlings (Job King) were just a few athletes who set personal bests and European records on Thursday, and will take to the Arbon track once again hoping for further fine-tuning ahead of this summer’s highlight anticipated World Para Athletics Championships.

Before that, Peacock and T44 women’s world record holder Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk) take to the streets of Manchester for the Great CityGames. This is live on BBC Two today from 6pm.

Go to the England Athletics website for results from Bedford.

Download the Rollstuhlsport Schweiz app for live results from the Swiss Nationals.