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Britain nominates its Paralympic Swimming Squad for Beijing
Britain has nominated 36 swimmers to participate in this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing. Swimming is an event where Britain traditionally does well, with the swimming squad winning the pool in Athens in 2004 by topping the medal table.
Again, the Dragons Disabled Swimming Club is proud that five former swimmers have been nominated to represent Britain at the Paralympics; Nyree Lewis, Elizabeth Johnson, Rhiannon Henry, Gareth Duke and club coach David Roberts MBE. There can’t be many clubs out there where so many representatives of the GB team started their competitive disabled swimming career.
Four of the five Former Dragons DSC members, Gareth Duke, David Roberts, Rhiannon Henry and Elizabeth Johnson. Also pictured are Billy Pye (far left) and Graham Edmunds (far right).
This will be David’s third Paralympics, having competed at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. So far his Paralympic haul is:
Sydney 2000
3 Golds
S7 50m Freestyle
S7 100m Freestyle
34 Points 4x100m Freestyle Relay
3 Silvers
S7 400m Freestyle
S7 100m Backstroke
34 Points 4x100m Medley Relay
1 Bronze
20 Points 4x50m Freestyle Relay
Athens 2004
4 Golds
S7 50m Freestyle
S7 100m Freestyle
S7 400m Freestyle
34 Points 4x100m Freestyle Relay
1 Silver
S7 200m Individual Medley
David sealed his qualification for the Games by breaking 3 World Records in the two Paralympic Trials events swam in the last few weeks setting new marks in the S7 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle events. The announcement of the squad nominations heralded a busy day for David seeing him being interviewed on BBC 1’s Breakfast News alongside Eleanor Simmonds and then being interviewed live on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Like David, this will be Nyree Lewis’s third Paralympics after also competing at Sydney and Athens. Nyree’s medal haul is equally as impressive standing at:
Sydney 2000
1 Silver
S6 100m Backstroke
2 Bronze
SB5 100m Breaststroke
20 Points 4x50m Medley Relay
Athens 2004
2 Golds
S6 100m Backstroke
20 Points 4x50m Medley Relay
2 Silver
SB5 100m Breaststroke
S6 200m Individual Medley
1 Bronze
S6 400m Freestyle
Gareth Duke competed at his first Paralympics in Athens and won a surprise Gold in the SB6 100m Breaststroke, providing us with one of the most memorable moments of the Games when he broke down in tears of joy on the podium when receiving his medal. He also picked up a Bronze in the 20 Points 4x50m Freestyle Relay.
This will also be Rhiannon Henry’s second Paralympics after making her debut alongside Gareth in Athens. There Rhiannon picked up two Bonze medals in the S13 100m Butterfly and 400m Freestyle, a fine return in what was a very competitive classification.
Another debutant in Athens was Elizabeth Johnson who now also goes on to her second Paralympics. There Liz competed in the extremely competitive S6 classification picking up a Silver medal in the SB6 100m Breaststroke. Liz has had a difficult and emotional year and I’m sure that everyone will be hoping that she gets as much success as she deserves in Beijing.
Other swimmers with Welsh connections made the squad due to the consistently high standard of swimming of the contingent of swimmers at the Swim Swansea High Performance Centre under the coaching of Billy Pye. These are; Jenny Coughlin, Graham Edmunds, Anthony Stephens, Robert Welbourn, and the youngest member of the squad, 13 year old Eleanor Simmonds.
Everyone here at the Dragons Disabled Swimming Club and those who have represented us in the past would like to express how proud we are of the five former members who have received their nominations today and would like to wish them all the best of luck this year.
Rhys
More stroies and the full squad list can be found by following the links on the Paralympic news section on the front page.
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