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 now 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 selected 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 British Para-Swimming programme -Podium Athletes:
Podium Potential Athletes:
Para-Swimming Academy Squad:
