Running in the British Milers’ Meet at the Trafford Stadium this evening Owen Miller ran 3:53.98 for a personal best by 2.4 seconds.

This is an incredible performance by the Fife Athletic Club athlete and former pupil of Woodmill HS.

Owen finished second in the event on the night but we reckon that this is the fastest ever time recorded by a British T20 athlete. Owen is reaping the rewards of remaining fully committed to his training programme set by coach Steve Doig of Fife Athletic Club during lockdown.

Owen has a superb family support team behind him and he has to thank his devoted Gran and Grandpa for getting him to Manchester in time for his event.

Unbelievable performance and well done Owen.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

The UK Boccia Workforce Development Group are pleased to announce the launch of a brand new series of online learning, commencing later this month. This schedule of CPD initially runs from September to March, and is open to all members of the boccia community to support their learning and development.

The content themes range from coaching, officiating, classification, boccia equipment, athlete experiences and more. All sessions are packaged as 60-90 minute online interactive workshops.  The sessions have been funded by the UK home nations and therefore completely free to attend, but places are limited so book early to avoid disappoint.

To view the full list of sessions and to book online, click here.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid showed why they are the world’s top ranked men’s doubles partnership on Saturday’s penultimate day of he US Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition, as they claimed an unprecedented fourth title together in New York. Meanwhile, fellow Brit Andy Lapthorne also secured his fourth successive quad doubles title.

With players on the LTA’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme having won four titles at Flushing Meadows in 2019, Hewett and Jordanne Whiley will now aim to help equal that record when they contest Sunday’s men’s singles and women’s doubles finals, respectively.

Also the reigning Australian Open champions, Hewett and Reid took their tally of Grand Slam men’s doubles titles together to eight after beating French second seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 6-4, 6-1. Reid, who stretched his own personal tally of US Open doubles titles to five after partnering Houdet to win the 2015 title, said:

“It means a lot to both of us. I’ve not lost a doubles match here since 2014, so it’s amazing to have that record. At Wimbledon and Roland Garros last year we were pretty disappointed with the results and made a big effort with the team at the LTA to make sure we turned things around and improved. I think we can really take pride in our results since then.”

After winning the first two games but then dropping the next three, Hewett and Reid got the better of the early momentum swings and attacked Houdet’s serve in the 10th game, the Frenchman producing a double fault to give the Brits three set points.

The Brits only needed the first as Hewett made the most of the ball hitting the net cord and presenting him with the option of a cross court forehand winner, which he put away with pinpoint accuracy.

The defending champions grew in stature to take the first five games of the second set and two games later they were presented with their first match point. Hewett made short work of the opportunity as he feigned an overhead smash at the net and calmly put away a delicate drop shot to wrap up a dominant performance. With Hewett and Reid winning the first ever wheelchair tennis final to be staged on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Hewett said:

“I think there are always going to be patches when you’re not playing your best tennis and there were a couple of games in that first set when I was getting a bit frustrated, but then we took control of the match and played the style we wanted to and in the second set our level definitely went up.

“It’s pretty spectacular to be on Arthur Ashe for a final on a Saturday at midday. That doesn’t come around often, so you’ve got to make the most of it.”

 Hewett, who plays on Louis Armstrong Stadium on Sunday as he faces world No.1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan in a bid to win his third US Open men’s singles title in a row, added:

“It really means a lot to us as players, for all the work we’ve put in off court and the training with our teams. To perform so consistently well at this tournament, you just have to embrace that. I’m sure Gordon will be sipping some champagne later, but I’ll be on the recovery drinks in preparation for tomorrow. Mentally I’m in a really good place, my confidence is at the highest that it’s been for a while and I’m sure it will be a great final.”

Like Hewett, Lapthorne ended the 2019 US Open as a singles and doubles champion. However, he had to recover from a below par singles performance on Saturday before partnering Australian Dylan Alcott to the quad doubles title.

Lapthorne and Alcott, the inaugural Wimbledon quad doubles champions in 2019 before winning their first US Open title together 12 months ago, had to come from behind before retaining their crown with a 3-6, 6-4, (10-8) victory over Dutchman Sam Schroder and David Wagner of the USA.

Schroder and Wagner gained momentum midway through the opening set to take the lead. However, Lapthorne and Alcott opened up a 3-0 second-set lead and although they missed chances to convert game points that would have given them a 5-1 lead, Lapthorne ultimately scrambled a drop shot over the net on set point to force a deciding match tie-break.

After a series of tense exchanges, Lapthorne and Alcott earned three match points and they needed all three before Alcott wrapped up their successful title defence with an ace.

Despite making it four US Open doubles crowns in a row, having won the 2017 and 2018 titles partnering Wagner, world No.2 Lapthorne still rued his singles performance against Schroder earlier in the day, which saw the Dutchman win their pivotal round-robin match 6-2, 6-1 to earn his place in Sunday’s final. However, Lapthorne conceded that the doubles final had produced an entertaining match. He said:

“I think today you saw some of the best quad doubles that you could wish to see. It’s been a tough week. I expected more, to be honest. I feel that the only player that beats me is me. It didn’t go my way today and I’m not happy with the way I played, but it’s not the end of my world. I go home with another doubles title and get ready to go again in another few weeks at Roland Garros.”

For news and updates from the wheelchair tennis draws and the fortunes of the Brits at the US Open, follow on Twitter @the_LTA and @WChairTennisGB.

To find out more about the LTA’s work with disability tennis, head to www.lta.org.uk/play or email disabilitytennis@lta.org.uk.

Photo courtesy of the LTA

Marking 1000 days to go Virtus has announced that the sixth Global Games will be held in Vichy, France, 4-10th June 2023.

Federation Francaise du Sport Adapte FFSA, the French member of Virtus was awarded the quadrennial multi-sport event.

The Virtus Global Games 2023 is the pinnacle of sports achievement for thousands of high performance, elite athletes with intellectual impairment in multiple sports from across the world.  It also provides a pathway for some athletes in athletics, swimming and table tennis the opportunity to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Virtus Global Games in France will be the sixth event.  Over 1000 athletes are expected to compete in 10 sports.  The Global Games takes place every 4 years in the year preceding the Paralympic Games.  

British athletes will compete at the Virtus Global Games, through the management and selection process established by the UK Sports Association and its Partners.  UKSA is the only recognised UK member of Virtus.

For more information please click here.

 

This week marks an important next step towards the return of sport in communities across the country with indoor sports courts and swimming pools now able to reopen in line with the latest Scottish Government public health guidance.

The Scottish Sports Governing Bodies Forum and Executive Group welcomes Monday’s communication from Stewart Harris, CEO, sportscotland announcing the release of a £1.5m COVID Support Fund to support Scotland’s sporting system (Sportscotland set up £1.5m Covid support fund for governing bodies). This timely statement recognises that whilst progress has been made with the re-opening of sports facilities across Scotland, this does not mean a full restart of sport as we know it and that many sports, particularly those reliant on accessing indoor sports facilities for Club training and competition, face a much slower return as local Trusts and leisure operators take a cautious and phased approach to the re-opening of their facilities.

We want to see more progress made in line with the latest public health guidance at all levels of sport, to ensure that clubs and local communities have access to facilities. The SGB Forum continues working with partners across the sporting system including sportscotland, the Scottish Government and Local Authorities and Local Trusts to bring about the safe return of sport, and is committed to ensuring that all of Scotland’s sports club members, volunteers and communities can access critical and much loved sporting and physical activity opportunities as soon as possible.

However, whilst there is a clear desire from all partners to reopen facilities and get our sports into these facilities as quickly as is safely possible, the ongoing difficulties presented by COVID-19, including facility staff on furlough, training requirements and venue remodelling to comply with social distancing measures, means that it is unlikely that all venues will be able to reopen fully for some time to come.

In the meantime, as a sector, we need the support, understanding and backing of all our Clubs and Members now more than ever as we work to protect the rich sporting fabric of our nation and strive to bring sporting activity back to being at the heart of our Scottish communities once more.

The Scottish Governing Bodies Forum

I first became involved in disability sport in 1975 and in that same year I met Liz Dendy OBE MBE from the Sports Council for the first time. Liz was a close friend of Mary Urquhart, the Director of Leisure and Recreation in Fife. Each was a formidable woman, and both were fully committed to physical activity, PE, sport, and active recreation for participants with disabilities. Each of these outstanding women had a major influence on my professional and voluntary organisation career and I owe them so much.

Liz celebrated her 90th birthday earlier this year but last Friday had a heart attack and was admitted to Hammersmith Hospital where she died on Saturday night. Our thoughts are with Liz’s friends and family who have lost a much-loved exceptional individual.

Liz was an incredible visionary locally, nationally, and internationally. Much of what we all experienced and enjoyed throughout the 80s, 90s and beyond was influenced by Liz Dendy in her Sports Council role. She inspired so many of us and shaped so much of what we now enjoy in Para sport and active recreation throughout the UK.

Liz introduced me to Kay Evans, the Disabled Living Foundation Physical Recreation Panel and I travelled to London for many years to learn from Liz and others. We cooperated on ground-breaking filming projects north of the border and Liz offered me the opportunity to contribute to major UK reports. Liz arranged for me to present a paper at the Council of Europe and encouraged me to join the CPISRA sports technical committee.

In my view Liz was the most influential and professional President of CPISRA, the international body for sport for athletes with cerebral palsy. I travelled with her to Papendal in the Netherlands on many occasions. When she left the CPISRA Executive Committee she took her many skills and experience to the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) and similarly influenced that great organisation for several years. An exceptional woman with amazing skills in governance, leadership, sports development, and diplomacy in particular.

I am not sure if I would have been involved in disability sport at national and international level for over 44 years if I had not met Liz Dendy. Firstly Liz believed I had something to offer and secondly she created many opportunities for me to be involved in disability sport at different levels. Liz opened doors and influenced and advised me throughout the many years we worked together.

“Building on Ability” was the most significant UK report of the 80s and Liz was a key contributor and influence. Liz believed passionately in the Four Home Nations working together and helped to shape the structures that we all enjoy at the present time.  Liz was the Sports Council officer who raised the profile of disability sport throughout the UK and beyond. During the International Year of Disabled People in 1981, Liz was the single individual who believed the Four Home Nations could bring about change and we did.

A remarkable British lady whose influence on the development of disability sport nationally and internationally is immeasurable. CPISRA and sport for participants with cerebral palsy would not have progressed as it did in the 70s and 80s without the passion, commitment and expertise of Liz Dendy.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE – Chairman Disability Sport Fife Board of Charity Trustees