Judoka ready to fight for medals as they join ParalympicsGB for Rio 2016
In a team that blends Paralympic Games experience with up-and-coming talent, four British judoka – Sam Ingram (Coventry), Jonathan Drane (Norwich), Chris Skelley (Hull) and Jack Hodgson (Gainsborough) – have become the first athletes selected for Rio 2016 this year.
London 2012 silver medallist Ingram (-90kg) will be competing in his third consecutive Games, with Drane, Skelley and Hodgson all aiming to impress on their Paralympic debuts.
Edinburgh-based Ingram, who also won bronze in Beijing, will be looking to reach the podium for the third time in Rio. He said:
“My experiences in London have really spurred me on to Rio, and I’ve been working incredibly hard to ensure that I can give it everything when I go to compete.
The standard of competition is so high that every day counts. We’ve got months of intensive training ahead but I’m ready for the challenge.”
Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Rio 2016, said:
“This is a very talented and committed group of athletes and I’m delighted to announce their selection to ParalympicsGB. I’m excited by their potential and by the competition that we can expect to see in Rio.
"I’d like to wish all of the athletes the very best of luck with their ongoing training and preparation.”
The team announcement is the first of 2016 and comes just a few weeks after the launch of the BPA’s new campaign: ‘Supercharge ParalympicsGB’. The campaign aims to get the nation behind ParalympicsGB in 2016. The public can help ‘supercharge’ the team by fundraising, donating and signing up to follow their progress at paralympics.org.uk/supercharge.
The four athletes join Helena Lucas (sailing) on the team sheet for Rio, with more athletes due to be selected over the coming months.
