British Para-Swimming announces performance squads for 2016

National Performance Director Chris Furber: “This season is the big one for all of us and we have carefully considered our podium athletes for the Paralympic year"

A group of 44 athletes has been selected to join the British Para-Swimming Podium and Podium Potential Programme as the sport enters the final stretch for Rio.

The sport has been working through a robust performance review programme with athletes and coaches to decide who will receive direct support from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Programme.

At the IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow this summer the sport won a total of 32 medals with 10 golds and achieved a personal best rate of 50%. 

Athletes have now returned to training for their final season ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and are working hard to make sure that they achieve qualification. 

National Performance Director Chris Furber explained: “This season is the big one for all of us and we have carefully considered our podium athletes for the Paralympic year. The athletes selected to the podium programme have all demonstrated they have the ability to be able to return medals in Rio and have made positive steps to support the vision of the programme of being best performing at the Paralympic Games.

“The funding criteria that we put in place is based on whether the athlete has demonstrated that they on the right trajectory to reach what we’ve predicted the medal times to be in Rio.

“This year we saw that, as expected, the world of Para-Swimming is moving forwards rapidly. We need to make sure that we are ready for what could be the toughest Paralympics Games ever and in order to be at our top end of funding the athletes need to demonstrate that they are improving to keep up with the rest of the world.

“Now, we are in the process of meeting all the athletes and coaches to ensure they have identified correct process goals and have a strong performance plan in place to be at their best for the Games next year.”

Performance Pathway Manager Craig Nicholson added: “This last year has seen significant improvements in world leading times across classifications.  This is something that the selection panel has had to carefully consider during the podium potential selection process to ensure that the athletes being identified have true medal potential in 2016 or 2020. 

“I believe the 22 athletes that have been selected for the 2016 season are a strong focussed group and show the potential to reach the podium in 2016 or 2020. As a programme, we are looking forward to working with the athletes and their coaches during this season.”

The Podium athletes are:

Male

Athlete            Home Programme/Club    Coach

Josef Craig     City of Sunderland    Danny Thompson
James Crisp    City of Sheffield    Russ Barber
Jonathan Fox    National Performance Centre/City of Manchester AST    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Tom Hamer    National Performance Centre/City of Manchester AST    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Oliver Hynd    Nova Centurion    Glenn Smith
Michael Jones    National Performance Centre/Loughborough University    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Sascha Kindred    Leominster    Emma Patrick
Andrew Mullen    National Performance Centre/Ren 96    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Scott Quin    Warrender Baths    Kris Gilchrist 
Matt Wylie    City of Sunderland    Danny Thompson

Female    

Athlete              Home Programme/Club    Coach
Jessica-Jane Applegate    UEA Norwich    Alex Pinniger
Claire Cashmore    National Performance Centre/Wyre Forest SC    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Bethany Firth    Ards SC    Nelson Lindsay
Tully Kearney    National Performance Centre/Boldmere SC    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Charlotte Henshaw    Nova Centurion    Glenn Smith
Harriet Lee    National Performance Centre/Northumbria University    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Stephanie Millward    Aqua Sulis SC    John Dougall
Susie Rodgers    Beckenham    Tony Beckley
Hannah Russell    National Performance Centre/Guildford City    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Eleanor Simmonds     National Performance Centre/Boldmere SC     Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Stephanie Slater National Performance Centre/Preston SC    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith
Alice Tai    National Performance Centre/Bournemouth Collegiate School    Rob Greenwood/Graeme Smith

The Podium Potential Athletes are:

Male

Athlete             Home Programme/Club    Coach
Jonathan Booth    Borough of Kirklees    Mark Lappin
Ben Foulston    Nova    Glenn Smith
Kahoru Harazawa    TBC    TBC
William Hardy    Gateshead and Whickham    Ken Nesworthy
Craig Harris    Swindon Dolphins    Louise Oliver
Ryan Nicholls    Enfield    Callum Maher-Doyle
Jaxon Simmons    City of Peterborough    Ben Negus
Jamie Warriner    Preston    Samir Ahmed
Lewis White    City of Derby     Melanie Marshall
        

Female    

Athlete            Home Programme/Club    Coach
Chloe Davies    Swansea Aquatics    Billy Pye
Erraid Davies    Delting Dolphins    Lorraine Gifford
Coral Farrell    Warrington Warriors    Darren Ashley
Danielle Hartin    Basildon Phoenix    Matt Dibble
Grace Harvey    Hoddesdon    Janet Warrington
Beth Johnston    B.E.S.T    Lauren Jocelyn
Lily MacLeod    Richmond Dales    Paul Remmonds
Adele Maguire    Warrington Warriors    Darren Ashley
Jay McCabe    Derwentside    Chris Dove
Zara Mullooly     Woking         Vince Ayling/Louise Hargrave
Megan Richter   Orion      Carl Flynn
Eleanor Robinson    Northampton    Andy Sharp
Maisie Summers-Newton    Northampton    Andy Sharp