Great Britain names team for Doha 2015

Six reigning world champions have been named in a 48-strong British Athletics team for the IPC Athletics World Championships (21-31 October) in Doha, Qatar.

Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, Richard Whitehead, Sophie Hahn, Hollie Arnold and Paul Blake will all be looking to retain the titles they won at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France.

However, London 2012 champion Jonnie Peacock will not defend his 100m T44 world title due to a leg injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season.

Six-time Paralympic, world and London Marathon winner David Weir will put on the British vest for the first time on the track since winning four gold medals at London 2012. Weir is looking for further glory in the 1500m and 5000m, two titles he won at the 2011 World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It has been a whirlwind of a year for Georgie Hermitage, who will make her international debut at the Suhaim Bin Hamam Stadium. The 26-year-old will line up in the 100m and 400m T37 off the back of setting a world record in the latter at the Anniversary Games in July, handing France’s three-time global gold medallist Mandy Francois-Elie the silver.

The Anniversary Games in London, Great Britain, were also a happy hunting ground for Hahn, who broke her own T38 world record by clocking 13.00 to beat Russia’s Margarita Goncharova, the athlete who pipped her to gold three times at last year’s European Championships in Swansea, Great Britain.

After winning two gold medals in Swansea on her international bow, 15-year-old Maria Lyle will look for the podium once again. The former 100m and 200m T35 world record holder faces Australia’s Isis Holt, who set the new leading marks of 14.16 and 29.49, respectively.

Jo Butterfield, European gold medallist in the club throw F51, heads to Doha ranked world no. 1. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Libby Clegg along with guide Mikail Huggins will target the medals once again.

The evergreen Stephen Miller will make his sixth IPC Athletics World Championships appearance, while Dan Greaves will seek to upgrade on the silver medal he won at his last two World Championships.

Fourteen athletes will make their senior international debuts, including Invictus Games gold medallist Dave Henson and Kare Adenegan, who at 14 is the youngest member of the team.

“We have got a real mix of athletes who have won medals on the global stage, as well as a number of new faces, which is really encouraging looking ahead to the future,” Paula Dunn, Great Britain’s athletics head coach, said.

“Doha is a stepping stone for many of the athletes on their respective journeys to Rio 2016 [Paralympics], London 2017 [IPC Athletics World Championships] and Tokyo 2020 [Paralympics]. I know the team will leave no stone unturned to deliver the sort of performances that we witnessed in Lyon two years ago.”

For more information on Great Britain’s team for Doha 2015, visit British Athletics’ website. Also visit the Doha 2015 event website for more information on the IPC Athletics World Championships.

Full roster

Kare Adenegan – 100m, 400m, 800m T34

Hollie Arnold – javelin F46

Graeme Ballard – 100m, 200m T36

Paul Blake – 400m, 800m T36

Sam Bowen – discus, shot put F44

Daniel Bramall – 100m T33

Olivia Breen –100, 4x100m, long jump T38

Jonathan Broom-Edwards – high jump T44

Shaun Burrows –100m, 400m T38

Jo Butterfield – club throw, discus F51

Richard Chiassaro – 100m T54

Libby Clegg, guide Mikail Huggins – 100m, 200m T12

Hannah Cockroft – 100m, 400m, 800m T34

Kadeena Cox – 100m, 200m, 4x100m T37

Aled Davies – shot put, discus F42

Kyron Duke – shot put, javelin F41

Sabrina Fortune – shot put F20

Toby Gold – 100m T33

Dan Greaves – discus F44

Thomas Green – Club F32

Kylie Grimes – club throw F51, T51/52 100m

Sophie Hahn – 100m, 200m T38

Claire Harvey – discus, javelin F55

Dave Henson – 100m, 200m T42

Georgina Hermitage – 100m, 400m T37

Jordan Howe – 100m T35

Abbie Hunnisett - club throw F32

Mo Jomni – 400m, 800m T53

Rhys Jones – 100m T37

Sophie Kamlish – 100m T44

Sammi Kinghorn – 100m, 400m, 800m T53

Maria Lyle – 100m, 200m T35

Polly Maton – long jump T47

Jenny McLoughlin – 100m, 200m, 4x100m T37

Stephen Miller – club throw F32

Tony Mills – long jump T44

Holly Neill – discus F41

Mel Nicholls – 400m, 800m T34

Steve Osborne – 100m, 400m T51

Gemma Prescott - club throw F32

Ben Rowlings - 100m, 200m 400m, 800m T34

Sam Ruddock - shot put F35

Zachary Shaw - 100m, 200m T13

Laura Sugar - 100m, 200m T44

Isaac Towers - 200m, 400, 800m T34

David Weir - 800m, 1500m T54

Richard Whitehead - 100m, 200m T42