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More than 40 selected for British Para Swimming World Class programme

More than 40 selected for British Para Swimming World Class programme

November 24, 2023

On the back of a successful home Para Swimming World Championships and less than 12 months from the 2024 Paralympic Games, British Swimming have invited 41 athletes onto their 2023-2024 World Class programme.

It includes 30 English swimmers amongst a plethora of athletes who have success at every level at the sport.

Ellie Challis, Jessica-Jane Applegate and Maisie Summers-Newton headline the Podium programme as they aim to add to their medal success from the Tokyo Paralympic Games from two years ago.

The Podium list also consists of reigning world champions from Manchester 2023, Alice Tai, Rebecca Redfern and Suzanna Hext as they target top spot once again in Paris.

Seven of the nine new members to the Podium Potential group are English athletes with William Ellard rewarded for his breakthrough season with a place on the programme alongside Astrid Carroll, Bruce Dee, Amber Haycock, Roan Brennan, Siena Oxby and Kieran Williams.

They’ll be aiming to make an impression on a national and international level with an eye on a Paralympic appearance in the future.

‘A great position’

Both the Podium and Podium Potential programme tiers receive opportunities and financial assistance from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Programme’s Athlete Performance Award (APA).

With the announcement coming as the last world class programme list before the Games in Paris, British Swimming’s Associate Performance Director, Tim Jones, spoke of his optimism ahead of Paralympic year.

He said: “We have every confidence that the athletes named on the programme will make a strong impression on the world stage in Paris next summer, and at Games and World Championship events to come in the future.

“With an impressive season under their belts, we look forward to seeing how each and every one continues their development in the months we have left, as well as at the competitions and training camps that the programme athletes will have access to in order to maximise our medal opportunities when it counts.

“This evolving cohort of athletes puts our programme in a great position not only to deliver success in Paris next year, but longer term in Los Angeles and beyond.”

Para-swimmers invited onto the World Class Programme for 2023-2024:

Podium

  • Jessica-Jane Applegate, City of Norwich Swimming Club (England)
  • Jordan Catchpole, Waveney Swimming Club (England)
  • Ellie Challis, Manchester Performance Centre (England)
  • Stephen Clegg, Edinburgh University (Scotland)
  • Samuel Downie, East Lothian Swim Team (Scotland)
  • Louise Fiddes, Hatfield Swimming Club (England)
  • Bethany Firth, Ards Swimming Club (Northern Ireland)
  • Grace Harvey, Manchester Performance Centre (England)
  • Suzanna Hext, Swindon Amateur Swimming Club (England)
  • Tully Kearney, Loughborough University (England)
  • Poppy Maskill, Manchester Performance Centre/Alsager Swimming Club (England)
  • Rebecca Redfern, Worcester Swimming Club (England)
  • Toni Shaw, University of Aberdeen Performance Swim Team (Scotland)
  • Georgia Sheffield, Bolton Metro Swimming Club (England)
  • Maisie Summers-Newton, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
  • Alice Tai, Ealing Swimming Club (England)
  • Brock Whiston, Barking and Dagenham Aquatics Club (England)

Podium Potential

  • Luke Batty, Bolton Metro Swimming Club (England)
  • Roan Brennan, Basildon & Phoenix Swimming Club (England)
  • Dylan Broom, Torfaen Dolphins Performance Centre (Wales)
  • Astrid Carroll, Borough of Kirklees Swimming Club (England)
  • Rhys Darbey, Nofio Cymru (Wales)
  • Bruce Dee, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
  • William Ellard, St. Felix’s School Swimming Club (England)
  • Eva French, Nuneaton & Bedworth Swimming Club (England)
  • Amber Haycock, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
  • Eliza Humphrey, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
  • Scarlett Humphrey, Northampton Swimming Club (England)
  • Charlotte Hyde, Enfield Swim Squad (England)
  • Louis Lawlor, City of Glasgow Swimming Club (Scotland)
  • Lyndon Longhorne, Derwentside Amateur Swimming Club (England)
  • Jack Milne, University of Aberdeen Performance Swim Team (Scotland)
  • Megan Neave, Repton Swimming Club (England)
  • Siena Oxby, Stockport Metro Swimming Club (England)
  • William Perry, Ealing Swimming Club (England)
  • Matthew Redfern, Worcester Swimming Club (England)
  • Lily Rice, Pembroke and District Amateur Swimming Club (Wales)
  • Faye Rogers, University of Aberdeen Performance Swim Team (Scotland)
  • Cameron Vearncombe, Manchester Performance Centre (England)
  • Kieran Williams, Manchester Performance Centre (England)
  • Meghan Willis, Torfaen Dolphins Performance Centre (Wales)
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