‘Promising’ squad selected for Para Swimming World Champs in Manchester

A total of 20 English athletes feature as part of the ‘promising’ squad set to compete at this year’s Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester.

They make up the majority of the 28-strong British team who will compete in front of a home crowd between Monday 31 July and Sunday 6 August.

For some, this will be the second major competition on home soil in as many years, with Jessica-Jane Applegate, Jordan Catchpole, Louise Fiddes, Poppy Maskill, Rebecca Redfern, Maisie Summers-Newton, Grace Harvey and Alice Tai all representing Team England at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The squad also features a host of current Swim England Para-Swimming talent athletes, alongside many who have progressed through the pathway.

William Ellard (S14), Georgia Sheffield (S14), Thomas Nevaro-Barber (S9) and Siena Oxby (S14) will all make their senior debuts for Great Britain, having earned their opportunity following performances at the recent trials event of the Para Swimming World Series meet in Sheffield.

Building towards the future

On the selections, British Swimming associate performance director, Tim Jones, said: “It was fantastic to see competition thriving in Sheffield – with 35 nations in attendance at the Para Swimming World Series event.

“It provided a great opportunity for our athletes to test themselves against international counterparts and with the backdrop of this being our key selection event.

“Now, the focus very much turns to ensuring this team can produce season’s best performances when it matters most, on the World Championship stage in four months’ time.

“The British team selected boasts a hugely experienced cohort of Paralympic and world champions.

“Alongside that, it’s promising to see the development of a number of athletes who have moved it on in the right direction since their international debuts in Madeira, and we also welcome several new faces to the team as we build towards the future.

“Manchester 2023 is a brilliant chance to set the stage for ourselves one year out from Paris 2024, and we will be working closely with these swimmers and their home programmes to support them through the coming months and ensure they are in the position to bring their best to the fore in front of a home crowd this summer.”