The summer season has well and truly started as all eyes have been on the Para Worlds in Kobe and the European Championships in Rome. The British contingent have made some very impressive statements at this early point in the season, with much more excitement still to come over the summer as they battle for spots on the Olympic and Paralympic squads.
Making the world stage is without doubt an incredible achievement, and we love to support the English athletes as they run, jump, throw and push against the very best in their field. However, we are also passionate about celebrating those behind the scenes; the clubs, personal coaches, support teams, and ourselves as the membership and development body who have all contributed to their journey to success.
Of the 61 English athletes selected to compete in Rome, 14 of these are currently connected with England Athletics, whether they feature on the Senior Programme or receive support from one of our Talent Hub locations, supported by London Marathon Events and TASS. In addition to this, there are many athletes across the team who have previously been supported by England Athletics as part of the Youth and Junior Talent Programmes.
England Athletics Head of Talent Sarah Benson said: “Our joint investment in the Talent Hub environments in partnership with London Marathon Events and TASS has significantly expanded the provision of sport science service support across England for aspiring English athletes. It’s fantastic to see the positive impact this investment is now having on British Team performances at major championships, most recently the women’s half marathon individual and team results at the European Championships. Congratulations to all the athletes and their coaches on their championship performances in Kobe and Rome.”
We are proud to have developed the Talent Pathway in England to be fully inclusive, meaning from the Youth Talent Programme upwards, the England Olympic and Paralympic pathway is fully integrated. This is a fantastic development across the programmes. There are new opportunities to learn, develop and improve together within their respective event groups, and then for the para athletes to receive specialist technical guidance and education as part of the Para Academy.
Since launching in 2023, we have seen firsthand the outstanding contribution the Para Academy has made on para-athletics in England; from the impressive results at the World Championships in Kobe, winning 12 medals, or our debut two England para-only teams at the Nottwil and Paris Grand Prix in June.
Learn more about the Talent Hubs
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Photo by James Rhodes