Nine debutants have been named in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for July’s World Para-athletics Championships in Paris.
They include Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, who won T45-47 100m gold for England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Seven reigning Paralympic champions have also been named in the team, among them Hannah Cockroft and Aled Davies.
The championships, to run from 8 to 17 July, are being staged for the first time since 2019.
They had been staged every two years since 2011, but the scheduled 2021 championships in Kobe, Japan, have been put back until 2024 – initially to avoid a clash with the delayed 2020 Paralympics, and then because of Covid concerns.
July’s event will be good preparation for the Paralympics in Paris in 2024, according to Tom Paulson, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team leader for the championships.
“Heading to Paris this year and getting used to that championships environment is hugely beneficial for the athletes and will be a chance to go through the processes a year out. I am looking forward to seeing how they all perform in this Championship environment,” said Paulson, who is also UK Athletics’ head of Paralympic performance.
“It is pleasing to see nine athletes receive their first call-ups to senior GB and NI teams, which shows the pathway is in a strong position. Earning a place in the team for the worlds and competing against the best on the global stage will be an invaluable experience for them.”
Full team
Women: Kare Adenegan (T34 100m and 800m), Fabienne Andre (T34 100m and 800m), Hollie Arnold (F46 javelin), Olivia Breen (T38 long jump and 100m), Lydia Church (F12 shot put), Hannah Cockroft (T34 100m, 800m and 4x100m universal relay), Sabrina Fortune (F20 shot put), Kayleigh Haggo (T72 100m), Sophie Hahn (T38 100m, 200m and 4x100m universal relay), Sammi Kinghorn (T53 100m, 400m, 800m and 4x100m universal relay), Maria Lyle (T35 100m and 200m), Anna Nicholson (F35 shot put), Funmi Oduwaiye (F64 shot put and discus), Eden Rainbow-Cooper (T54 800m, 1500m and 5,000m), Ali Smith (T38 100m, 400m and 4x100m universal relay), Hannah Taunton (T20 1500m), Mel Woods (T54 400m, 800m and 1500m)
Men: Columba Blango (T20 400m), Jonathan Broom-Edwards (T64 high jump), Steven Bryce (T20 1500m), Karim Chan (T38 long jump), Richard Chiassaro (T54 400m), Barney Corrall (T37 long jump), Aled Davies (F63 shot put), David Devine (T13 5000m), Gavin Drysdale (T72 100m), Dan Greaves (F64 discus), Michael Jenkins (F38 shot put), Kyle Keyworth (T35 100m and 200m), Nathan Maguire (T54 400m, 800m and 1500m), Owen Miller (T20 1500m), Luke Nuttall (T46 1500m), Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (T47 100m and 4x100m universal relay), Jonnie Peacock (T64 100m and 4x100m universal relay), Dan Pembroke (F13 javelin) Marcus Perrineau-Daley (T52 100m), Ben Sandilands (T20 1500m), Kevin Santos (T47 100m), Zac Shaw (T12 100m and 4x100m universal relay), Daniel Sidbury (T54 400m, 800m, 1500m and 5,000m), Luke Sinnott (T63 long jump), Zak Skinner (T13 long jump), Rafi Solaiman (T72 100m), Harrison Walsh (F64 discus), Thomas Young (T38 100m)