Paralympic champions dominate new British swim team

Five-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds will spearhead a powerful British swim team as momentum builds towards Tokyo.

ParalympicsGB won 47 swimming medals in Rio, including 16 golds, and have named a 55 strong squad for the new season.

Simmonds made her Paralympic debut as a 13-year old in Beijing and is looking to make her fourth Games in Tokyo. She is joined in a powerful podium squad by Paralympic champions Alice Tai, Hannah Russell, Eleanor Robinson, Bethany Firth, Jessica-Jane Applegate, world record holder Maisie Summers-Newton and European champion Louise Fiddes.

While fellow Paralympic podium toppers Oliver Hynd and Michael Jones, Rio silver medallists Scott Quin and Thomas Hamer, and Steven Clegg and Lewis White make up the men’s elite team.

British Para-swimming have also named a strong squad of rising stars in their podium potential and academy teams, who they hope will step up and underline their Paralympic claims at next year’s World Championships in Malaysia.

“The penultimate season before the Paralympic Games is always an exciting time for the programme,” said Chris Furber, national performance director.

“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.”

Podium squad:

Stephen Clegg, Tom Hamer, Oliver Hynd, Michael Jones, Scott Quin, Lewis White, Jessica-Jane Applegate, Louise Fiddes, Bethany Firth, Eleanor Robinson, Hannah Russell, Eleanor Simmonds, Maisie Summers- Newton and Alice Tai.

Podium Potential squad:

Oludaisi Adefisan, Jonathan Booth, Jordan Catchpole, Tyler Ioannou, Jacob Leach, Conner Morrison, Andrew Mullen, Katie Crowhurst, Danielle Hartin, Grace Harvey, Abby Kane, Tully Kearney, Zara Mullooly, Rebecca Redfern, Megan Richter and Toni Shaw.

Para-swimming academy squad:

Luke Batty, Lewis Beagrie, Roan Brennan, Dylan Broom, Oliver Carter, Rhys Davies, Benjamin Grainger, George Kelman-Johns, Louis Lawlor, Leo McCrea, Jack Milne, Benjamin Pope, Kieran Williams, Aliya Bacakoglu, Ellie Challis, Scarlett Humphrey, Beth Johnston, Seren Leconte, Rebecca Lewis, Megan Neave, Leah O’Connell, Georgia Sheffield, Fern Sneddon, Brock Whiston and Meghan Willis.