British Para-Swimming has selected 55 athletes to be part of its World Class Performance Programme for the 2018/2019 season.

A robust performance review programme with coaches and athletes has been utilised to identify who meets the UK Sport programme criteria and will receive direct support through the World Class Performance Programme.

For Para-Swimming the athlete selection is broken down as follows:

  • Podium – 14 Athletes (8 female and 6 male)
  • Podium Potential – 16 Athletes (9 female and 7 male)
  • Para-Swimming Academy Squad – 25 Athletes (12 female and 13 male)

Selected athletes receive access to world-class sports science and medicine services, advanced training camp and competition opportunities and support from British Swimming performance staff and National Institute of Sport programmes across the UK.

The World Para Swimming European Championships 2018 in Dublin proved to be a highly successful event with the team bringing home a total of 55 medals, 20 of them gold and demonstrating the potential medal winning capability that is currently possessed within British Para-Swimming.

The British Para-Swimming World Class Programme continues to liaise closely with the Home Nations to identify and recruit new athletes to guarantee a strong future talent pool to continue working towards being the best performing Para-Swimming nation at the Paralympic Games.

Athletes have now returned to training following an end of season rest and begin the final half of 2020 Paralympic cycle.

National Performance Director Chris Furber explained: “The penultimate season before the Paralympic Games is always an exciting time for the programme.

“This year we get to practice our Tokyo strategy by travelling east for the world champs in Kuching, Malaysia. The athletes selected on to the programme have demonstrated they have the potential to perform on the biggest stage.

“The next two years will be about fine tuning our process and ensuring that athletes are well supported to the blocks and beyond, and also enable them to achieve their dreams.

“The 30 athletes selected onto our podium and podium potential squads bring a level of youthfulness matched with the determination and resilience to be successful at the top level.”

Performance Pathway Manager Craig Nicholson added: “The Academy Squad is now in its third season, growing year on year.

“The 2018-2019 selection is our largest and youngest squad of para-swimmers from across the three Home Nation Talent Programmes and we are looking forward to working with these athletes and their coaches.

“The Academy squad has become an integral step on the para-swimming pathway in supporting the athletes through their transition from the Home Nation Talent programmes through to the World Class programme.

“I believe this has been further strengthened through the introduction of the ROAR Ingredients, the athlete development framework.

“This year’s Academy squad selections shows para-swimming has an exciting future, when we look beyond Tokyo and towards 2024.”

The season for athletes will begin this Saturday (20/10/18) with the annual British Para-Swimming programme conference in Manchester.

Athletes selected for the Podium programme are:

Podium Squad:

Athlete Home Programme/Club Coach
Stephen Clegg City of Sunderland Danny Thompson
Tom Hamer National Performance Centre/ COMAST Graeme Smith
Oliver Hynd Nova Centurion Glenn Smith
Michael Jones National Performance Centre/ COMAST Graeme Smith
Scott Quin Warrender Baths Kostas Kalitsis
Lewis White COMAST Mark Rose
Jessica-Jane Applegate UEA City of Norwich SC Alex Pinniger
Louise Fiddes Hatfield SC Janko Gojkovic
Bethany Firth Ards Nelson Lindsay
Eleanor Robinson Northampton SC Jacquie Marshall
Hannah Russell National Performance Centre/ COMAST Graeme Smith
Eleanor Simmonds Camden Swiss Cottage Billy Pye
Maisie Summers- Newton Northampton Jacquie Marshall
Alice Tai Ealing SC Dave Heathcock

 

Podium Potential Squad:

Athlete Home Programme/Club Coach
Oludaisi Adefisan Nova Centurion Glenn Smith
Jonathan Booth Borough of Kirklees Richard Swystun
Jordan Catchpole UEA City of Norwich SC Alex Pinniger
Tyler Ioannou Wycombe SC Kevin Brooks
Jacob Leach Cockermouth SC Sean Balmer
Conner Morrison University of Aberdeen Gregor McMillan
Andrew Mullen City of Glasgow/Ren96 Ian Wright
Katie Crowhurst Wycombe SC David Gee
Danielle Hartin Basildon Phoenix Doug Campbell
Grace Harvey National Performance Centre/ Hoddesdon Graeme Smith
Abby Kane North Ayrshire ASC Jess Wilkie
Tully Kearney City of Manchester Matt Walker
Zara Mullooly City of Guildford Lee Spindlow
Rebecca Redfern Worcester City Mark Stowe
Megan Richter Orion Carl Flynn
Toni Shaw University of Aberdeen Gregor McMillan

 

Para-Swimming Academy Squad:

Athlete Home Programme/Club Coach
Luke Batty Bolton Metro Swimming Squad Ric Howard
Lewis Beagrie Hamilton Baths Ann O’Neill
Roan Brennan Basildon and Phoenix SC Karen Epsley
Dylan Broom Ian Rosser Torfaen Dolphins Performance
Oliver Carter Stirling University SC Josh Williamson
Rhys Davies Pembroke & District ASC Craig Nelson
Benjamin Grainger Mount Kelly Lawrie Thompson
George Kelman-Johns Swim Bournemouth Matt Heathcock
Louis Lawlor City of Glasgow Danielle Brayson
Leo McCrea Bournemouth Collegiate School Academy James Ryan
Jack Milne Dundee City Aquatics David Haig
Benjamin Pope Havant & Waterlooville SC Zoe Stemp
Kieran Williams Newquay Cormorants SC Ian Russell
Aliya Bacakoglu Borough of Kirklees SC Jason Kan
Ellie Challis Colchester Phoenix ASC Julie Jago
Scarlett Humphrey Northampton Swimming Club Michael Haines
Beth Johnston B.E.S.T Robyn Methven
Seren Leconte Rhondda Cynon Taf Performance Swim Squad Keith Morgan
Rebecca Lewis Rhondda Cynon Taf Performance Swim Squad Keith Morgan
Megan Neave City of Derby Swimming Club Jamie Brown
Leah O’Connell Camden Swimming Club Gerry Gillespie
Georgia Sheffield City of Salford SC Danielle Naylor
Fern Sneddon Royal Tunbridge Wells Monson SC Della Clout
Brock Whiston Barking & Dagenham Aquatics Club Siobhan George
Stewart Nicklin
Meghan Willis Torfaen Dolphins Performance Brett Nowell

 

About British Swimming

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Para-Swimming, Diving, High Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain. It is responsible internationally for the high-performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (ASA), Scotland (Scottish ASA) and Wales (Welsh ASA). British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

www.britishswimming.org

About UK Sport

Every athlete who has received National Lottery funding will have a story to tell of the difference that it has made to their Olympic or Paralympic dream. But the simple truth is that the National Lottery has taken sport in the UK to a new level. Each successive Games proves that there is no longer any margin for error if you want the top prize. Medals are won and lost by the smallest possible margins – the power of UK Sport’s National Lottery investment is in its ability to seek out those tenths, hundredths or even thousandths of a second, wherever they exist, and make sure that if there’s a close call, British athletes emerge on the winning side.

www.uksport.gov.uk

About TYR

Named for TYR, the Norse god of warriors, our company is committed to cultivating a culture of greatness, both in and out of the water. Through vision and American ingenuity, we have become a brand synonymous with the athlete.

From the planning stages to the production floor, everything we do revolves around synthesizing creativity, experience and competition. For us, engineering the most advanced performance products is more than just a goal, it’s a requirement.

www.tyr.com