Several Paralympic medallists will be heading to the London Athletics Meet on Sunday 23 July, joining a stellar programme of events. Five para events will be included in the programme alongside the Wanda Diamond League events, with many of those athletes set to compete returning from the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships which take place in Paris one week prior.
Hannah Cockroft has been in superb form in 2023, improving her world records in the T34 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m in meetings out in the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. She will headline the women’s wheelchair 800m which will include two-time Paralympic medallist Sammi Kinghorn [T53] and European champion Fabienne Andre [T34].
There will be another superb wheelchair race as the men take on the 1500m. Danny Sidbury and Nathan Maguire have been in exceptional form already this season, both setting British records in the T54 class. Sidbury pushed to the second fastest time in history in Nottwil last month, so this will be a race not to be missed. Leading the line in the ambulant 100m races are Paralympic T38 champions Thomas Young and Sophie Hahn.
In the men’s race, Young will face-off against Commonwealth T47 100m champion Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, and European T13 100m champion, Zak Skinner. While in the women’s contest, Hahn will face Commonwealth gold medallist Olivia Breen, and reigning world T35 100m champion Maria Lyle.
The fifth para event in the timetable in the ambulant men’s 1500m which will see Paralympic T20 champion Owen Miller race in the London Stadium for the first time in his career. Cockroft said: “The London Stadium is a truly special place for me, and it will have a place in my heart forever.
“I am really pleased to be racing there in July, hopefully on the back of a very successful World Para Athletics Championships for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in Paris. British para athletics is in a really strong place at the moment, one year out from the Paralympic Games, so these are events not to be missed.
“The British fans understand the sport like no other, so I look forward to performing in front of the home crowd next month.” Young commented, “I am so excited to be racing at the London Stadium in July.
“It will be the first time in my athletics career, so it will be a very special moment for me. I am really looking forward to racing against some of the best athletes in the country on that track next month.
“I was inspired to start the sport after watching the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and seeing my heroes, like Usain Bolt, compete. So, there are so many memories for me in that stadium.
“It will be a special occasion for all the athletes, and I am excited about competing in front of the largest home crowd I will have experienced in my career.”
