Disability Sport Wales
Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru

Team announced for IPC Swimming World Championships

A 30-strong team has been announced to represent Great Britain at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Holland.

The British Disability Swimming team, powered by British Gas, will take on the best swimmers in the world in the competition which takes place from 15th – 21st August.

The British challenge will be headed up by Double Paralympic Champion Eleanor Simmonds as she prepares for her second IPC Swimming World Championships.

Simmonds was only 12-years-old when she competed at her first World Championships in Durban and just two years later claimed the nation’s hearts with her tearful celebrations at the Beijing Paralympic Games.
The Swansea-based athlete will be joined by multi-Paralympic Champions Dave Roberts and Sascha Kindred as the Brits aim to prove their place as one of the most successful swimming nations in the world.

Welsh Swimmers to make the squad are David Roberts, Liz Johnson (pictured), Nyree Lewis and Rhiannon Henry.

John Atkinson, who begins his role as National Performance Director on 1st May, believes that the team has what it takes to achieve on the world stage.

“Having seen the trials in Sheffield it is good to see a number of athletes achieve qualification that haven’t competed at a major international competition before,” Atkinson said. “There are a selection of athletes that will be competing at their first major international competition and the team has a good mix of youth and experience.

“The blend of experience and previous medallists together with youth is good for the future development of the team. This event gives first time athletes the opportunity to step up and work hard to be successful in the lead up to 2012.

“For any team the aim is to improve from the trial event to the benchmark meet of the year. I believe that if the swimmers work hard in their training and achieve improvements then they will put themselves in a good place for success at the World Championships.

“I begin my new role on the 1st May and we go straight into a training camp in Majorca which will be my first opportunity to build relationships with the staff, coaches and athletes. I think that this will give us all the chance to work as a focused group as we prepare for success on the world stage.”

The British Disability Swimming team, powered by British Gas consists of:

James Anderson
James Crisp
Jonathan Fox
Sean Fraser
Sam Hynd
Sascha Kindred
Daniel Pepper
Ben Procter
David Roberts
Matthew Walker
Robert Welbourn
Matthew Whorwood
Thomas Young

Claire Cashmore
Rhiannon Henry
Charlotte Henshaw
Elizabeth Johnson
Natalie Jones
Harriet Lee
Nyree Lewis
Natalie Massey
Stephanie Millward
Eleni Papadopoulos
Chloe Selman
Eleanor Simmonds
Louise Watkin
Fran Williamson

In addition the following athletes have been selected for the relay squads. Selections are subject to the relay events being confirmed upon final entry.

Graham Edmunds
Fran O’Connor
Lizzie Simpkin

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