ParalympicsGB - What we've been up to in September

British swimmers on form at World Championships 

Great Britain’s spectacular swimming squad returned from the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore with a phenomenal 40 medals including 15 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze. 

Poppy Maskill claimed her third individual world title on the final day of competition adding a women’s 100m butterfly S14 triumph and a new world record to her wins in the 100m backstroke S14 and 200m freestyle S14, while Will Ellard won the men’s event with a new championship record.

The World Championships had begun strongly for the British squad as Ellard set the tone for what was to come with a new world record in the men’s S14 200m freestyle on the opening day of competition, with golds too for Alice Tai in the women’s S8 400m freestyle and Maskill over 200m.

Success continued on day two with a clean sweep of the podium in the women’s S14 100m backstroke – Maskill leading the way ahead of Bethany Firth and Georgia Sheffield, while Tai continued to excel, winning the S8 100m backstroke. The 26-year-old went on to scoop four individual golds in four days, adding wins in the 100m freestyle and butterfly events by the end of the competition.

Faye Rogers won the women’s S10 400m freestyle with a British record 4:32.34, Ellie Challis completed a full colour set of medals, retaining her world title in the women’s S3 50m backstroke and there was gold for Grace Harvey in the women’s SB5 100m breaststroke, reclaiming the title she won back in 2022. Brock Whiston won the SM8 200m Individual medley to add to the Paralympic title she won over the same distance in Paris.

In the relays, the quartet of Ellard, Maskill, Dylan Broom and Georgia Sheffield won the mixed S14 4x100m freestyle relay with a new Championship record – a race Great Britain also won at Paris 2024. There was also gold and a new world record for the quartet of Maskill, Harry Stewart, Ellard and Firth on the penultimate day of competition in the Mixed S14 4 x 100m Medley, an event which has been added to the Paralympic programme for LA 2028.

Wheelchair fencing world title for Coutya

Wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya successfully reclaimed the men’s foil category B world title he first won in 2017 with Para fencing World Championship victory in Iksan, South Korea, meaning he now holds all three major championship titles at once – Paralympic, world and European golds.

The 27-year-old also clinched bronze in the men’s Epee B in his first competition since Paris 2024, and joined Piers Gilliver, Oliver Lam-Watson and Joshua Waddell to take Men’s Team Foil silver too.

Gemma Collis meanwhile won women’s Epee A silver and Sabre A bronze at the Para Fencing World Cup in Indonesia before going on to claim a historic silver medal alongside Emily Holder against world number one team Hong Kong in the women’s team Epee – the first global medal for Great Britain in the event.

Hewett and Reid reach US Open tennis final

Paralympic champions Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid – who have a phenomenal 23 Grand Slam titles together - finished runners-up in the men’s doubles at the US Open in New York.

The pair, who were bidding for a sixth US Open men’s wheelchair title together, lost out in the final to Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and Japan’s Tokito Oda 6-1, 2-6 (10-6).

Teenager Ruben Harris won the boys’ wheelchair doubles alongside Austrian partner Maximillan Taucher – a second Grand Slam title for the 18-year-old who also won the French Open doubles title in 2024.

Pritchard among winners at Rowing World Championships

Paralympic and European champion Benjamin Pritchard added the world title to his list of accolades with a dominant win in the PR1 Men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x) final, leading from the start at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai.

The PR3 Coxed Mixed four maintained their long-standing unbeaten record by retaining the gold medal for the 14th consecutive time. Paralympic champions Frankie Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Ed Fuller, Josh O’Brien and newly selected cox, Tom Bryce, were fast off the start and maintained the lead to cross the finish line almost seven seconds ahead of China and Germany. 

Paralympic silver medallists Sam Murray and Annie Caddick narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing in fourth place in the PR3 mixed double sculls final.

Five medals for British riders at Para Dressage European Championships 

There were five medals for the British Equestrian Para dressage team at the FEI Para Dressage European Championships in the Netherlands. 

Paralympic bronze medallist Mari Durward-Akhurst and her horse Athene Lindebjerg claimed Grand Prix A individual Grade 1 bronze to add to their freestyle bronze won at Paris 2024, while international debutants Jemima Green (Grade 2), riding Fantabulous and Nicola Naylor (Grade 4) riding Humberto L, also brought home bronze medals in their individual events. Durward-Akhurst and Green added Freestyle bronze medals to their tally on the final day of competition. In that event, competitors ride tests that they have choreographed themselves based on a list of required movements and set to music of their choice. Great Britain narrowly missed out on a team medal, finishing fourth.

Judoka Dan Powell crowned European champion

Paralympic silver medallist Dan Powell added the European title to the world gold he won earlier this year with a dominant performance in the J1 -95kg category at the IBSA European Championships in Tbilisi. 

Victory meant the 34-year-old extended his streak to 17 consecutive podium finishes and is the first British judoka since Ben Quilter in 2011 to hold both the World and European titles simultaneously.

Jack Hodgson marked his first return to action since the World Championships with a career-best silver medal in the J2 +95kg, while Miles Soloman won silver in the J2 -70kg category. 

Multiple medals for Brits at the World Archery Para Championships 

Paris 2024 gold medallists Nathan MacQueen and Jodie Grinham – who together won mixed team gold at Paris 2024 - were among the medallists at the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, while Nicolas Thomas claimed gold for the British squad in the visually impaired event (not currently in the Paralympic programme).

MacQueen and Grinham each secured bronze in their individual Compound events, with MacQueen also pairing up with Jamie Harris to win Compound men’s team bronze. Jessica Stretton and Phoebe Paterson Pine also reached the podium, joining forces to claim bronze in the Compound women’s team event.

Ellis and Pollard lead the way at World Triathlon Para Cup

Paralympic, world and European champions Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard were the class of the field once again at the World Triathlon Para Cup in Portugal - the last international race of the season before the World Championships in Australia next month.

Ellis and guide Pollard, who race in the PTVI category for visually impaired athletes, finished more than two minutes ahead of their closest rivals in the ten strong field, while Ryan Taylor picked up the silver medal in the PTS3 category. 

In the women’s sprint races, Paris 2024 medallist Hannah Moore took the win in the PTS4 category, finishing over four minutes ahead of her closest rival, Danielle Cummings from the USA. Meanwhile, Rachael Elliott picked up a silver medal on her first race on the international stage, coming second in the PTVI category.

Cockbill and Skelhon on target in Serbia

Paralympic shooters Ryan Cockbill and Matt Skelhon both struck gold at the Novi Sad Grand Prix at the end of last month – providing the perfect preparation ahead of the European Championships in October. Cockbill claimed a hat trick of medals including gold in the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH2 (R9), while Skelhon won the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1event with a new British record of 256.1.

Brilliant Brits at Boccia World Cup 

Great Britain’s boccia pair Stephen McGuire and Sophie Newham claimed World Cup gold in Seoul, South Korea, capping off a terrific few days’ competition which also included an individual bronze for Newham and a silver for David Smith. 

McGuire and Newham’s victory - which took place at the same venue as next year’s World Championships - was the first World Cup gold medal for Britain in the BC4 Pairs event since 2018 and added to the duo’s European glory already this season. 

Tim Reddish CBE receives Paralympic Order 

 The IPC has recognised the outstanding contributions of three individuals with the Paralympic Order, the highest accolade within the Paralympic Movement.

Congratulations to Former ParalympicsGB Chair Tim Reddish CBE who received the award alongside Duane Kale and Professor Anne Hart at the 2025 IPC General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. 

Reddish won five Paralympic medals before moving in to sports administration – first in Para swimming, then as chair of ParalympicsGB and a London 2012 Board Member. He was elected on to the IPC Governing Board in 2017.

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Philip Lewis MBE 1938-2025

ParalympicsGB is saddened to hear of the passing of British Para Table Tennis President Philip Lewis MBE who has died at the age of 87.

A former Paralympian and talented administrator he helped to transform the landscape of disability sport through his tireless advocacy for equality and inclusion and his legacy as one of the founders of the British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled, now known as British Para Table Tennis.

Lewis competed at the 1964 Paralympic Games in Tokyo in swimming and table tennis, going on to win gold in the doubles with Paul Lyall and bronze in the singles at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, a silver medal at the 1972 Paralympic Games in Germany with Derek Williams, gold in the doubles with Dave Ellis and silver in the singles at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.