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GB team gears up for INAS Open European Athletics Championships

The GB Team is gearing up for the Inas Open European Athletics Championships which is an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) sanctioned event and takes place in the Netherlands from 11 – 15th June.

GB Athletes will want to deliver world-class performances, in what will be a very competitive field of athletes from across Europe, featuring 19 countries and 152 athletes.  The stakes couldn’t be any higher, as performances at these Championships will count towards potential selection to compete at the 2015 Inas Global Games and for some the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

 The Team competing at the championships was selected by the UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability (UKSA) and is made up of a total of nine athletes from across the UK.  Athletes with learning disability are classified as T20 for track events and F20 for field events.

 Team member Chloe Knight said:  “I am delighted to have been chosen as part of the GB Team. It’s such a great opportunity to be competing in these International Championships, I have put in the training and hard work and it is fantastic to see that it has paid off.’ 

 Team member Marcel Hodge said: “As the current 100m and 200m European champion, I’m really hoping I can retain my titles, and it would be awesome to win the relay too!  It’s always an honour for me to represent GB, not many people can say they’ve done that!”

The Team is led by Team Manager and Head Coach Paul Burns (Barrow-in-Furness), along with GB Coaches Christine Galloway (Halifax) and Tommy Patterson (Glasgow) who has been chosen to take part in the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay.  The GB physiotherapist is Nicola Tennant (Glasgow).  

The GB Team comprises of: 

  • Martina Barber (Stevenage) is a previous winner of a local Athlete of the Year award and a Gold medal winner in the heptathlon at the 2013 Inas World Athletics Championships.
  • Holly Durbidge (Lowestoft) is a current Inas European Athletics Silver medallist, having taken part in the 4 X 200m relay at the 2012 competition in Gavle, Sweden.  
  • Robert Ferrol (Glasgow) got his first taste of medal success at the 7th Inas World Athletics Championships with a Gold for the 4 X 200m relay, a silver at 400m and a further silver in the 4 X 400m relay.  
  • Aidan’s Turnbull whose personal best times include 60m (7.45s), 100m (11.35s) and 200m (23.99s). 
  • Marcel Hodge (Leicestershire) is a double Inas World Champion and the current reigning 100m and 200m European champion.  His current personal best times are 100m (11.09s) and 200m (22.48). Marcel has also been invited by British Athletics to compete at the Bedford International Games this month.  
  • Chloe Knight (Lancashire) achieved Gold in both the long jump (4.14m) and the triple jump (8.63m) at the Mencap 15th Open Athletics Championships in 2013.
  • Declan Manning (Suffolk) participated in the 2013 Inas World Athletics Championships in Prague, his personal best in the discus is 32.16m and in the shot put 10.95m.
  • Owen Miller (Fife) recorded a personal best time in the 1500m of 4:02:20 at the Scottish Indoor Senior Championships and had the honour of being of one the very first athlete’s to compete at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park when it opened back in 2012. 
  • Daniel Pass (Merseyside) earned the “highly commended” distinction of a Local Sports Person of the Year at the Wirral Golden Globes Awards and won a Gold medal at last year’s Mencap National Championships in the 200m with a time of 24.22s 
  • Relay – the GB team have traditionally done well in relay events at Inas competitions, at the 7th Inas World Indoor Athletics Championships the GB Team won a Gold medal in the men’s 4 X 200m (1.38.76) and silver in the 4 X 400m (3.45.67) with team members including Robert Ferrol, Aidan Turnbull, Marcel Hodge and Owen Miller. The women’s team also performed strongly with a Gold in the 4 X 400m (4.36.58) and Silver in the 4 X 200m (4.57.84) with team members including Holly Durbridge and Chloe Knight. 

Chief Executive at the UK Sports Association, Tracey McCillen said: 

Great Britain is fielding a powerful team of talented athletes who are all focussed on reaching the podium. The GB Team is ready for success at the Championships, the Team has demonstrated their ability to deliver on a national and international scale with some exceptional results. Expectations are high as they take their place amongst the world’s best. I wish all the GB Team the best of luck.”

The 2014 Inas Open European Athletics Championships will take place on Bergen Op Zoom in the Netherlands from the 11 - 15 June 2014.  The three-day competition has a full medal events schedule.

UKSA promotes, facilitates and supports talented athletes with learning disability in the UK to train, compete and excel in national and international competitive sport.

UKSA manages the eligibility and classification process for UK athletes with learning disability. The Great Britain Team is managed by UKSA in collaboration with its four Home Country members, Scottish Disability Sport, Disability Sports Northern Ireland, Welsh Sports Association for People with Learning Disability and Mencap Sport in England.