A total of 60 athletes have been selected to form part of the British Para-Swimming World Class Programme (WCP) for the 2019/20 season.
After an extremely successful World Para Swimming Championships in London last month, a strong squad of Podium, Podium Potential and Academy swimmers have been named for the 12 months in the run up to Tokyo 2020.
The Podium group includes some of the star performers from 2019, such as Alice Tai and Reece Dunn, the latter included for the first time after a breakthrough year. The likes of Louis Lawler, Ellie Challis and Brock Whiston are all included at Podium Potential level, whilst a further 22 swimmers have been named on the 2019/20 Academy.
The athletes split across Podium and Podium Potential tiers and will receive programme opportunities and targeted financial assistance from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Programme’s Athlete Performance Award (APA).
Athletes selected on to the World Class programmes are also eligible to receive training camp and competition opportunities throughout the selected season, as well as access to world-class sports science and medicine services, and comprehensive support from British Para-Swimming performance staff and national institute of sport programmes across the UK.
Of the 2019/2020 group, British Para-Swimming National Performance Director, Chris Furber, said:
“I’m absolutely delighted by the strength and depth of the swimmers selected onto the programme as we go into the final season before the Paralympic Games. The performances at the World Championships in London were outstanding and the swimmers have created a brilliant platform on which to build their 2020 seasons. Now that selections are complete the important planning phases can begin as we ensure the support the swimmers need is in place.”
Craig Nicholson, Performance Pathway Manager, said of the Academy cohort:
“While Tokyo is less than 12 months away, we
have a group of promising para-swimmers who are looking forward to Paris 2024.
It’s a really exciting time for the programme to have such a talented group of
swimmers to support over this next 12 months. The academy delivery will be
through camps and club visits, focusing on developing key athlete behaviours
through the ROAR ingredients, Para-Swimming’s athlete development framework.”
World Class Performance Programme:
Podium
- Jessica-Jane Applegate, City of Norwich (England)
- Louise Fiddes, Hatfield Swimming Club (England)
- Bethany Firth, Newcastle/ARDS (England)
- Tully Kearney, NPC/COMAST (England)
- Eleanor Robinson, Northampton SC (England)
- Hannah Russell, NPC / City of Manchester Aquatics (England)
- Toni Shaw, University of Aberdeen (Scotland)
- Eleanor Simmonds, Camden Swiss Cottage (England)
- Maisie Summers-Newton, Northampton SC (England)
- Rebecca Redfern, Worcester Swimming Club (England)
- Jordan Catchpole, City of Norwich (England)
- Stephen Clegg, Edinburgh University (Scotland)
- Reece Dunn, Plymouth Leander (England)
- Thomas Hamer, Stockport Metro (England)
- Oliver Hynd, Nova Centurion England)
- Michael Jones, NPC (England)
- Scott Quin, Warrender Baths (Scotland)
- Lewis White, COMAST (England)
- Zara Mullooly, Northampton SC (England)
- Suzanna Hext, Swindon Dolphin (England)
- Alice Tai, Ealing SC (England)
Podium Potential
- Jonathan Booth, NPC (England)
- Dylan Broom, Torfaen Dolphins Performance Centre (Wales)
- Ellie Challis, Colchester Phoenix (England)
- Katie Crowhurst, Wycombe (England)
- Rhys Davies, Nofio Sir Gar (Wales)
- Danielle Hartin, Basildon Phoenix (England)
- Grace Harvey, NPC (England)
- Tyler Ioannou, Wycombe SC (England)
- Abby Kane, North Ayrshire Amateur Swimming Club (Scotland)
- George Kelman-Johns, Swim Bournemouth (England)
- Louis Lawlor, City of Glasgow Swim Team (Scotland)
- Jacob Leach, Cockermouth (England)
- Stephanie Millward, Team Bath AS (England)
- Conner Morrison, University of Aberdeen (Scotland)
- Andrew Mullen, City of Glasgow Swim Team (Scotland)
- Leah O'connell, Camden Swiss Cottage (England)
- Brock Whiston, Barking and Dagenham (England)
Academy
- Aliya Bacakoglu ,Borough of Kirklees (England)
- Conor Ballard, Leatherhead SC (England)
- Luke Batty, Bolton Metro (England)
- James Brown, Royal Wolverhampton (England)
- Oliver Carter, University of Stirling (Scotland)
- Levi Codling, Coalville SC (England)
- Benjamin Grainger, Mount Kelly (England)
- Eliza Humphrey, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
- Scarlett Humphrey, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
- Charlotte Hyde, Camden Swiss Cottage SC (England)
- Seren Leconte, RCT Performance Swim Squad (Wales)
- Rebecca Lewis, RCT Performance Swim Squad (Wales)
- Poppy Maskill, Crewe Flyers (England)
- Jack Milne, Dundee City Aquatics (Scotland)
- Megan Neave, City Of Derby (England)
- Luke O'Dowd, The tornadoes of South Dorset (England)
- William Perry, Northampton SC (England)
- Harvey Phillips, Louth dolphins (England)
- Georgia Sheffield, City of Salford Swimming Club (England)
- Fern Sneddon, RTW Monson (England)
- Kieran Williams, Newquay Coromorants (England)
- Meghan Willis, Torfaen Dolphins Performance Centre (Wales)