England para team success at Paris Grand Prix
A first for England Athletics - taking a team of ambulant para athletes to an international competition - was a great success. And what a place to start; at the last World Para Athletics Grand Prix of the season at Charlety Stadium before the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The team consisted of eight para athletes selected from within the 2023/2024 England Talent Pathway cohort and England Athletics are delighted with the not only the results but also the professional manner in which the whole team represented England.
There was a great spread of youth and experience in the team with seasoned para athletes such as T38 classified athletes Shaun Burrows and Karim Chan who have represented GB at major championships, whilst Youth Talent Programme athlete Rosie Porter was making her senior international debut after a representing Team England at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023.
Karim earned first place in the T38 long jump with 6.31m, and Shaun was 4th in his 100m clocking a season's best of 11.63. Rosie ran both the 100m - taking 6th place in PB of 14.69 - and also the T38 400m which she completes in a PB of 68.90.
The team had three T20 athletes - Adam Wilson and Brandon Ballard making their first international team - running in a highly competitive and tactical 1500m and finishing in 4:07.50 and 4:05.64 respectively, while Faye Olszowka thrived in the environment, running a very solid 62.79 400m.
Emily Stewart (T38) made a brilliant return to form with a 26.93m season's best in the discus, and India Oates (T35) - who did a fantastic job as team captain - also picked up a PB in the 200m ( 33.36) and a season's best of 16.30 in the 100m.
National Para Athletics Manager Matt Kendrick said:
"I want to thank the team staff: Shani Palmer who did a brilliant job as Team Leader, Nick Ridgeon (throws), Hayley Hemmings (endurance), Jo Porter (para athlete support, and Lucy Eggleton – (physiotherapist) for doing a fantastic job of creating an environment in which para athletes could perform and thrive."
Team
- Shaun Burrows T38 (Charnwood AC, Joseph McDonnell): 100m
- India Oates T35 (Darlington Harriers/Loughborough Students, Joseph McDonnell):100m
- Rosie Porter T38 (Herts Phoenix, Catherine Walker): 100m
- Adam Wilson T20 (Yate/Bristol & West, Callum Jones): 1500m
- Brandon Ballard T20 (Huntingdonshire AC, Denise Korkmaz): 1500m
- Faye Olszowka T20 (Bexley AC, Coral Nourrice): 400m
- Emily Stewart F38 (Gateshead Harriers, Richard Kaufman): discus
- Karim Chan T38 (Charnwood AC/Loughborough Students, Lukasz Zawila): long jump