ParalympicsGB - What we've been up to in August

Fantastic four world titles for Brits at 2025 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships

Charlotte Henshaw, Laura Sugar, Hope Gordon and Dave Phillipson all claimed world titles at the Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Championships in Milan in August.

Three-time Paralympic champion Henshaw was first to strike gold, powering home to win the KL2 200m – her 11th world title - with Sugar securing her gold medal less than 10 minutes later in the KL3 200m ahead of Gordon who shared bronze with Germany’s Felicia Laberer after the pair finished in a dead heat.

Gordon and Phillipson secured their gold medals a day later, capping off a superb few days’ racing with multiple medals for the British squad.

Paralympic silver medallist Phillipson won his first World Championship title in thrilling style, crossing the line in the men’s KL2 0.17 seconds ahead of Italy’s Christian Volpi, with the top five separated by just 0.41 seconds. 

Gordon’s gold came in the women’s VL3 200m with a dominant performance from the Scot who won by over two seconds, with Henshaw in second place.

Ed Clifton earned bronze in the VL2 200m - the 39-year-old’s first medal at a World Championships, adding to the European medal he won earlier this year, and Jeanette Chippington claimed a well-deserved bronze in the VL2 200m final.

* Photo credit: Paddle UK

Nine medals including gold for British squad at Para Cycling Road World Championships

Fin Graham claimed a fourth consecutive C3 road race world title to cap off a superb four days’ racing by the British squad in Ronse, Belgium.

After a largely tactical race which saw eight riders still in contention with a kilometre to go, Graham - who won his first Paralympic title in Paris last year - pulled away from his opponents creating a gap which continued to grow as he sped towards the finish line to claim the rainbow jersey once again. His victory added to the C3 time trial bronze he won on day two of competition.

Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl took bronze in the women’s tandem B race on the final day of competition, adding to the time trial silver they won two days earlier. Morgan Newberry also claimed C5 time trial silver and added a brilliant bronze in the women’s C5 road race on the final day.

More medal success came from Paralympic silver medallist Archie Atkinson as he secured men’s C4 road race bronze after a superb ride as part of a breakaway trio with France’s Kevin Le Cunff and Mattis Lebeau; there were podium finishes too for Callum Russell, who became the first British man to win a World Championship hand bike medal with time trial bronze, while Felix Barrow picked up his first World Championships road race medal, a bronze in a ferocious sprint finish in the men’s T2 road race.

* Photo credit: SWPix

Para table tennis

Great Britain’s Para table tennis stars were in action at home and abroad in August.

Megan Shackleton won the Ladies Wheelchair and Open Wheelchair national titles in Sheffield, while world number two Joshua Stacey (class 9) did not lose a set on his way to winning the Open Standing and class 9-10 singles events. The pair were then part of a 15-strong British squad who travelled to the USA for the ITTF World Para Elite Spokane competition.

Gold for Will Bayley in men’s class 7 and Aaron McKibbin in men’s class 8 were the highlights of 10 singles medals won by the British Para Table Tennis team in Washington state. Tom Matthews (men’s class 1), Jack Hunter-Spivey (men’s class 4-5) and 15-year-old Bly Twomey (women’s class 6-7) took silver and there were also bronze medals for Rob Davies (men’s class 1), Paul Karabardak (men’s class 6), Joshua Stacey (men’s class 9), Megan Shackleton (women’s class 4-5) and Grace Williams (women’s class 8).

The British team finished on a high taking nine medals in the doubles events – including golds for Will Bayley and Theo Bishop (men’s class 14), Bly Twomey and Fliss Pickard (women’s class 14), Joshua Stacey and Aaron McKibbin (men’s class 18) and Will Bayley and Bly Twomey (mixed class 14).

Judokas medal at IBSA Grand Prix

Paralympic silver medallist Dan Powell added another medal to his collection with silver at the IBSA Grand Prix in Egypt. There were bronze medals too for Evan Molloy, Evie Gormley and Kirsten Taylor in their events.

* Photo credit: British Judo

Para athletes line up at UK Championships 

Para athletes were in action at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham with Paris 2024 champion Sabrina Fortune in world record-breaking form. 

Fortune, who won F20  shot put gold at last year’s Paralympic Games with a world record throw of 15.12m, extended that mark to 15.75m on her way to victory. Elsewhere in the field, Pembroke threw 63.62m in the men’s Javelin, Hollie Arnold managed 41.37m in the women’s event, Dan Greaves came top in the men’s Discus throw and Funmi Oduwaiye won the women’s equivalent with a new personal best of 38.77m. Michael Jenkins won the Shot Put with a F38 European record 17.94m and Olivia Breen leapt 5.00m in the women’s Para long jump, with Luke Sinnot topping the podium in the men’s event.

Out on the track Thomas Young took the tape in the men’s 100m ambulant final clocking 11.19, with Sophie Hahn winning the women’s race in 12.76. Kare Adenegan won the women’s 800m wheelchair final, Kyle Brotherton was first in the men’s 1500m wheelchair race and Kieran O’Hara won the men’s 1500m ambulant.

* Photo credit: Jodi Hanagan

Arsenal hosts final Premier League Disability Festival

Wheelchair basketball’s Paralympic silver medallist Simon Brown was at Arsenal’s Hale End training ground last month, along with 250 young players from across England – all there to take part in the final Premier League Disability Football Festival of the season.

“When I finally found wheelchair basketball, it changed everything, I learned what I was capable of,” Brown, who is an Arsenal fan, recalled. “These kids are getting that feeling right now, they can compete, belong, and be themselves.”

The festival was one of three held throughout the year, bringing together 14 to 16 year-olds for short six-a-side games alongside workshops to support physical and mental wellbeing with the aim of giving young people with disabilities opportunities to develop skills and confidence in a supportive environment.

Freddie Hudson MBE, Arsenal in the Community’s Director added: “The skills and confidence built here extend into school, friendships, and family life. Football is a great connector, but for those facing barriers, we have a responsibility to remove them.”

* Photo credit: Premier League

ParalympicsGB announces senior leadership team for Milano Cortina 2026

ParalympicsGB has announced the senior leadership team that will head up the British team led by Chef de Mission Phil Smith at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy next year.

Joining Smith will be ParalympicsGB’s Director of Operations, Verity Naylor MBE and Head of Performance Services Jonny Riall who have been appointed Deputy Chefs de Mission – roles they both undertook at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games last summer.

Naylor leads the strategic planning and delivery of all operational and logistical aspects essential to the team’s successful participation at the Games while Riall oversees all sport performance planning and will head up a team of support staff and practitioners during the Games.

Dr Michelle Jeffrey – currently in post at the Sportscotland Intitute of Sport - has been appointed ParalympicsGB’s Chief Medical Officer having been reserve doctor for the team at Paris 2024. Chris Dick continues to support ParalympicsGB in his expert role as Head of Security, and Kate McCall fulfils the role of team Press Attaché in her fourth Games with ParalympicsGB.

Professor Nick Webborn runs for IPC Governing Board elections

ParalympicsGB’s former President, Professor Nick Webborn, will run for Vice President (and Member-at-Large) in the International Paralympic Committee’s Governing Board elections in South Korea in September.

Nick’s service to the Paralympic movement spans more than three decades of service and leadership, as an athlete, medical practitioner, researcher and President of ParalympicsGB.

ParalympicsGB hosts European Paralympic Committee conference in London

ParalympicsGB welcomed over 43 European members of the European Paralympic Committee for its General Assembly and Conference in London at the end of the month. The four-day event, which included elections for a new Executive Board and conference on ‘A More Inclusive Europe: The Role of Para Sport’, saw the highest ever recorded attendance with over 135 delegates present.