World Champions among rowers selected for ParalympicsGB at Rio 2016
The British Paralympic Association have selected nine rowers to compete for ParalympicsGB in Rio, including several World Championship medallists.
Grace Clough, Daniel Brown, Pamela Relph, James Fox and cox Oliver James, the reigning World Champions in the mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+), head the selections.
Great Britain has claimed the World Championship title in this boat in three consecutive years since London 2012.
The 2015 World Championship final was one of the most thrilling of the overall event with the GB four holding off the Americans by a narrow margin. This event is increasingly competitive on the global stage.
Relph is the only returning member of the victorious gold medal crew from London 2012. A physics graduate from University of Birmingham, Relph took up rowing after arthritis led to reduced movement in her wrists and ended her planned Army career.
Relph said today:
“I am over the moon to be selected for my second Paralympic Games and feel so excited and nervous at the prospect of trying to defend my gold medal from London 2012.”
Today’s announcement takes the number of selected athletes to 180 from 15 sports.
Selected athletes are:
Rachel Morris - women’s single scull (ASW1x)
Home town: Farnham
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Guildford RC
Tom Aggar - men’s single scull (ASM1x)
Home town: London
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Marlow RC
Lauren Rowles - mixed double sculls (TAMix2x)
Home town: Bromsgrove
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Marlow RC
Laurence Whiteley - mixed double sculls (TAMix2x)
Home town: Northallerton
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Tees RC
Oliver James (cox) - mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Home town: Henley-on-Thames
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Leander
Grace Clough - mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Home town: Sheffield
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Nottingham RC
James Fox - mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Home town: Peterborough
Main training base: Caversham
Club: University of London
Pam Relph - mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Home town: Aylesbury
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Leander
Daniel Brown - mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)
Home town: Reading
Main training base: Caversham
Club: Upper Thames Rowing Club