Athlete: David Roberts
HOME TOWN: Llantwit Fadre, Pontypridd
SPORT: Swimming
EVENT: 50m Fly, 100m Free & Back, 200m IM, 400m Free, Relays.
CLASS: S7
DISABILITY: Cerebral Palsy
COMPETITION HONOURS:
Paralympic Games Sydney 2000:
3 Gold: 50m Free, 100m Free, 4×100m Free Relay
3 Silver: 100m Back, 400m Free, 4×100m Med Relay
1 Bronze: 4×50m Free
Commonwealth Games Manchester 2002:
1 Bronze: 50m Free Multi Disability
World Championships Argentina 2002:
1 Gold: 100m Free
1 Silver: 400m Free
Paralympic Games Athens 2004:
4 Gold: 50m Free, 100m Free, 400m Free, 4×100m Free Relay
1 Silver: 200m IM
Commonwealth Games Melbourne 2006
1 Bronze: 100m Free Multi Disability
World Championships Durban 2006
4 Gold: 100m Freestyle 400m Freestyle 50m Freestyle
4 × 100m Freestyle Relay – World Record
1 Siver: 4 × 100 Medley Relay – European Record
1 Bronze: 200m IM
BIOGRAPHY
David took up swimming as part of his physiotherapy after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 11 years old. By 14 he had been selected for Wales and represented Great Britain at 19 in the European Championships, winning all four of his events.
His Paralympic dreams came true in 2000 at Sydney with three golds, three silvers and a bronze. It was in Athens 2004 though, where his burgeoning potential was fully realised with four gold medal swims, one silver and two world records.
At times Paralympic swimming hero David Roberts must look at his medal cabinet and wonder how to make space for his next haul. Adjustments had to be made as the Pontypridd star, only 24years old was awarded an MBE by the Queen – an honour that will surely take pride of place among his glittering golds.
2006 saw Dave represent his Home Country, Wales, which doesn’t happen very often at a World Stage, and Dave excelled out in Melbourne in 100m multi disability race, where although he was only 0.02 away from his own World Record, he snatched Bronze away from the Aussie Swimmer, Ben Austin.
David finished 2006 in a flourish at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa. He came back with 6 medals, 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. On top of that he was part of the 4 × 100m Freestyle Relay who broke a World Record, and set a new European Record in the 4 × 100m Medley Relay.
He’s now back in intensive training at the Wales National Pool in Swansea, under the control of the High Performance Centre Coach, Billy Pye.
