Tag: 2024

03/09/2024

The Medals Keep Coming as Scots Take Gold in the Pool and Silver on the Athletics Track on Day 6

Faye Rogers Wins Paralympic Gold on her Games Debut and it’s a Second Silver for Sammi in Paris.

Faye Rogers produced a stunning swim in the pool on day six of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The 21-year-old put in a terrific performance in the women’s 100m butterfly S10 to take the title of Paralympic champion on her Games debut.

Faye made her intentions clear in the morning, when she clocked 1:05.92 in the heats – just 0.5 off her own European Record.

Whilst the final was harder work, the Scot backed herself as she turned for the final 50m in second place behind teammate Callie-Ann Warrington. She edged ahead with 25m to go and touched the wall first with a time of 1:05.84.

In 2021 she was involved in a car accident which squashed her Olympic dreams. Nearly three years to the day since that accident, she can now call herself a Paralympic champion.

“It’s a big full circle moment and I couldn’t be prouder of how far I’ve come. I couldn’t have asked for more from the last three years”, said Faye.

She went on to say: “Coming into Para sport has been the best thing, I couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and I have learned so much about myself. I’ve started getting messages off people in similar situations and it makes me so proud and grateful that my experiences are helping other people. There are so many people who could benefit from Para sport, it’s just amazing.”

“There are always days it feels like it’s never going to get any better but it does. There’s always a way to adapt to stuff and overcome stuff. I’ve found over the last three years there’s nothing I can’t do, it might just look a little bit different, and that’s absolutely OK. It has been such a whirlwind and I couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile on the Para athletics track – Sammi Kinghorn stormed to silver in the women’s 1500m T54, to claim the first of the two medals won today (3rd).

It’s a second silver for the Scot in Paris, adding to her 800m T53 medal won on Sunday 1st.

“Who would have thought a sprinter would get a medal over 1500m, I certainly did not. I thought I’d be jostling for fourth, maybe squeeze a third”, said Sammi.

The wheelchair racer clocked a time of 3:16.01 to seal the silver.

The 28-year-old said: “I kinda got a bit disorientated and I stopped at 200m to go because I thought we were done – it’s so loud in here which we’re not used to. So I learned I need to count laps. But that noise is absolutely electric and I’m absolutely buzzing to come away with a medal.”

Sammi continued to say, “You really just have to put yourself out there – there’s some strong, strong athletes in there. To beat Susanna [Scaroni, bronze medallist] has blown my mind and to be able to sit on the back wheel of Catherine is incredible.”

Teammate Melanie Woods put in a superb effort in a packed final to finish eighth with a time of 3:23.37. The 30-year-old from Glasgow, sang her teammates praises after the race:

“I train with Sammi so much throughout the year and to see her hard work turn into medals is so exciting and gives me hope that I can make the podium one day. It’s inspirational to see what she’s achieving out there.”

Gordon Reid and partner Alfie Hewett came head-to-head with the Netherlands Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten Ter Hofte in the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles.

Games were close and fiercely contested but Gordon and Alfie rallied through to secure the win, 6-2, 6-1.

“We came out firing right from the start and we produced some of our best stuff at the beginning of the match. That settled us down early and in the second set they raised their level and tested us a lot more. There were a lot of long games that we came out on top of and it was a really good test going into the next match”, said Gordon.

Day seven will be particularly busy for the 32-year-old Scot as he will compete in both the men’s singles quarterfinal and doubles seminfinal.

The current order of play sees him playing his singles semifinal against Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez at 11am BST, before he joins Alfie to play the doubles semifinal against home favourites Stephane Houdet and Frederic Cattaneo in the late afternoon.

On facing the French, the Scot commented: “We’re just really excited to come up against them. It was one of our dreams before the tournament to come up against the local favourites. We’ve got big singles matches first in the morning to deal with but once they’re over with, we’ll be ready to go.”

Stephane Houdet was in the men’s doubles pair that won gold at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, defeating Gordon and Alfie in both finals. Both Gordon and Alfie will be hoping that it’ll be third time lucky for them in Paris.

It was a tough start for the mixed team BC1/BC2, who suffered a 13-1 loss in their opening pool game against the People’s Republic of China. The mixed team, who is made up of Scotland’s Kayleigh Haggo, Claire Taggart and David Smith, had the challenge of resetting and refocusing before they took on Portugal in the evening pool match.

The trio produced the goods in a tightly fought game, winning 5-4 to advance to tomorrow’s quarterfinals where they will play Indonesia at 11:50am.

“It was really nerve-wracking, especially after the result this morning, so I’m so happy we got the win”, said Kayleigh following the win.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.

02/09/2024

Gordon Reid Into Singles Quarter Finals After Vintage Display

The wheelchair tennis star shined in Paris’ morning sun to continue from strong opening display yesterday

By Paul Morrison

ParalympicsGB’s Gordon Reid showed no signs of fatigue after playing two matches yesterday as the Scot put on a dominant performance to defeat Japan’s Takuya Miki in the third round of the singles competition.

Gordon comfortably booked his place in the last eight at Roland Garros after seeing off the ninth seed in just over an hour of action at Court 13.

The two-time Paralympic medalist in singles will return to action tomorrow in doubles before competing in the singles quarter finals on Wednesday (4th).

Speaking after the match, Gordon was pleased with how he handled the top 10 player, saying: “I knew it was going to be a step up in level from yesterday’s match but I think I responded well.”

Before the match, Gordon and Miki already had a long history of matches together. The Scot had won all 18 previous ties, dating all the way back to 2011.

Being their second match-up at the Paralympics after competing at London 2012, Gordon would be confident and determined to keep the win streak going after overcoming the Japanese player on clay at June’s French Riviera Open.

Gordon started sharp with a hold of serve to begin the match when he went from where we left off the previous day to get a quick break in over Miki.

Hitting some winners to hold onto a close game, the Scot inflicted another blow to his opponent to produce a strong break of serve to head 4-0.

After saving a couple break points to lead 5-0, Miki got one game back on his own serve which saw Gordon concede his first game on the singles tournament, following his 6-0, 6-0 victory over Suresh Dharmasena yesterday morning.

Gordon was forced to earn the first set in the next game as he came from saving more break points to fire a few winners and an ace to take the set 6-1.

An immediate break saw Gordon start to take control in the second set as he then routinely served out for 2-0.

A straightforward service game for Miki was then met by Gordon quickly brushing through three games on the spin as his winner count increased in a brilliant showing.

Gordon sealed the victory with a fifth break of serve that featured three winners as he made it 19 out of 19 wins over Miki.

“I controlled the majority of the match and really happy with my performance,” said Gordon while reflecting on his excellent display.

The Scot also praised the support from his family and friends in the crowd, commenting: “It’s great to have their backing and they came out with some good songs today so hopefully they can keep on driving me forward.”

Gordon will now play the fourth seed, Gustavo Fernández from Argentina, on Wednesday (4th) in the singles quarter final in what will be another big step up in difficulty for the ParalympicsGB star.

Before then, Gordon will be back on tomorrow afternoon in the doubles quarter final with Alfie Hewitt as they face the seventh seeds, Dutch pair Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten ter Hofte on one of Roland Garros’ top courts, Suzanne-Lenglen.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.  

02/09/2024

Scottish Boccia Athlete Wins Paris 2024 Paralympics Gold Medal on Day 5

Scottish boccia star Stephen McGuire wins gold for ParalympicsGB and his first ever Paralympic medal.

By Bethany Lee

Scotland’s Stephen McGuire just won a 2024 Paralympics gold medal on day five in Paris.

The star from Hamilton dominated the men’s BC4 individual final against Columbia’s Edilson Chica Chica – which marked the inaugural final for this boccia category at a Paralympic Games.

There was not a dry eye in the audience of GB supporters, or the thousands watching on the livestream, as Stephen celebrated his win.

“I’ve played this sport for 20 years and I’ve been in every possible final, apart from the Paralympics, I’ve never even been to the podium. I was starting to feel this event was getting away from me, two fourths in London, another fourth in Rio, I didn’t even make the semis in Tokyo, it just shows why you should never give up,” said Stephen.

Despite drawing three all by the second end, Stephen took a magnificent lead in the third, dominating the game after a few mistakes from Chica Chica.

His victory looked almost certain by the final end, but Stephen kept his cool, bringing it home with an 8-3 win and securing the gold medal.

Stephen said: “I felt really confident in the final. My flatmate is David Smith and he’s won three golds, he told me to have no regrets and told me not to settle for silver, just go for it.”

Stephen’s older brother and boccia player, Peter McGuire, commentated on the game for Channel 4. As Stephen took the win, Peter got emotional.

When asked what this means for him and his family, Peter tearfully said: “I can’t describe it right now, it means not only acceptance, but we’re here and we’re strong. It’s hard to put into words.”

The victory comes after an incredible Paralympics for Stephen, only losing one game the entire tournament.

“There wasn’t many nerves, there were more in the semi-final because I’ve lost the last three. It’s a Paralympic final, I may never reach another one, so I told myself to enjoy it,” Stephen said.

Stephen has been working towards this for twenty years, finishing fourth at three previous Paralympic Games and coming back from a knee injury in 2021. He has had an amazing year in the sport, winning 17 out of his previous 18 international matches. However, qualifying for Paris 2024 was never guaranteed.

“The easiest way to qualify [for the Paralympics] is through the pairs but I didn’t make it, so I had to focus everything on the individual. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of soul searching and I was the last person to be named on this team, the others knew months ago. It’s been an unbelievable season, I’ve made a final in every competition I’ve entered.”

A well-deserved win in Paris for Stephen and for ParalympicsGB.

02/09/2024

After 20 years of Chasing a Paralympic Medal, Stephen McGuire Gets Paralympic Gold

Scotland’s Stephen McGuire wins inaugural BC4 boccia gold ahead of Nathan Macqueen’s gold in Para archery, on day five of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

It’s been the perfect Games for Stephen McGuire in Paris, who ends his fourth Paralympic Games with a gold medal in the men’s individual BC4.

A Paralympic medal was the only medal that the Scot had never won. He had been chasing this dream for 20 years and finally, on Monday 2nd September, he was crowned Paralympic champion.

Stephen got off to a great start to take the first end 3-0, against Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica.

The Colombian fought back in the second end though to draw level at the halfway point (3-3). Stephen needed to bounce back and lean on his years of experience to get himself back in front. The Scot did exactly that – he remained calm and dominated the third end with a further 5 points (8-3).

The Colombian had to pull something special out of the bag to leapfrog into the lead. However, Stephen only allowed his opponent to score two points after strategically setting up some good block balls.

Errors made by Edilson in the first and third ends proved critical and Stephen claimed the title, with a final score of 8-5.

The Para athlete from Hamilton went on to say: “The easiest way to qualify is through the pairs but I didn’t make it, so I had to focus everything on the individual. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of soul searching and I was the last person to be named on this team, the others knew months ago. It’s been an unbelievable season, I’ve made a final in every competition I’ve entered.

“There wasn’t many nerves, there were more in the semi-final because I’ve lost the last three. It’s a Paralympic final, I may never reach another one, so I told myself to enjoy it.”

The Scots won a second gold medal on day five of the Games thanks to Nathan Macqueen and teammate Jodie Grinham (ENG), who showed great composure on their way to bagging gold in the mixed team compound open, in Para archery.

Their path to the podium followed a 150-141 over Australia in the quarterfinals and a new Paralympic record in the semifinals against Italy with a score of 156 (v 149).

The duo looked solid heading into the gold final where they faced Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori (IRI). The pair shot some incredible arrows in very tense moments. They kept their cool to take the Paralympic title, winning 155-151.

“It’s pure relief. This is my third Games and I hadn’t medalled. We are both parents now and there is a lot of sacrifice being a high-performance athlete, being away from your children. They are the hardest bits but this has made it all worth it, I can give my wee boy a medal.” Said the Scotsman.

Sammi Kinghorn and Melanie Woods were racing in the same event today on the Para athletics track. The Scottish duo clocked 3:34.83 and 3:20.70 respectively, to seal their places in tomorrow’s 1500m T54 final.

Just one year after giving birth to her son, Alison Peasgood delivered a terrific swim-bike-run to finish fourth in the women’s Para triathlon PTVI (vision impairment). Alison, with guide Brooke Gillies, clocked a time of 1:09:21.

“I’m just completely overwhelmed.” Said Alison after the race.

Despite Paris being Alison’s third Paralympic Games (Rio 2016 silver, Tokyo 2020 4th), it is the first time she has been guided by 26-year-old fellow Scot, Brooke, at a Paralympics.

“Give me a whole year and I’ll be fully fit but I’m just so proud of Brooke for supporting me through this.” Alison said.

Reflecting on the past year, the 36-year-old Para athlete from Dunfermline said: “It’s been a rollercoaster, there’s nothing you can compare it to. There are days where you feel amazing, there’s days where you feel awful but ultimately no matter what I do I know Logan (son) is going to want to play with me. He’s here, probably fast asleep somewhere.”

In Para table tennis, Martin Perry’s Paralympic campaign concluded in Paris after a defeat in the men’s singles SM6, last 16.

Ian Seidenfeld of USA got the better of Martin in each set, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9.

“This has been the highlight of my career and up there with one of the best experiences of my life”, Martin said.

“This whole experience has been everything I’ve wanted it to be and more despite the results. Obviously they would have been the cherry on top but the whole experience and privilege of being at the Paralympics and representing my country at the highest level is a honour I will never forget.”

Gordon Reid continued his winning ways in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles.

Gordon used his extensive experience to ease through to the quarter finals with a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 win against Japan’s Takuya Miki.

He will face the talented Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez in the last eight. Gustavo has the slight edge in head-to-head matches over the 58 times (27 v 31) they have played each other.

Reid will very much see this as the business end of the event beginning now and a chance to get to the final four in what will undoubtedly be a tough fixture.

01/09/2024

Scots Add Three More Medals and a New World Record to the Tally at Paris 2024

There was plenty of action on day four in Paris as the Scots scooped up a further three medals and set another world record, on Sunday 1st September.

It was a second medal in Paris for Jenny Holl, who piloted Sophie Unwin to gold in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit.

“We’ve completed the set now, when you include our Tokyo medals, we’re done!” Exclaimed Jenny.

The pair made their intentions very clear after qualifying for the final with a new world best time of 3:17.643. Although they couldn’t catch their own blistering time in the final, the duo took the title with another impressive time of 3:19.149, a gap of 2.166 seconds to second placed Katie George-Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal (IRL).

“We needed to do something new, we came second at the World Champs this year. We had nothing more than that, that’s what we had then. We didn’t want another silver medal.” Said Holl, the 24-year-old from Blair Drummond.

The win takes their medal tally to one gold and one silver in Paris.

Neil Fachie, piloted by Matt Rotherham, sealed silver in the men’s B 1000m time trial in the velodrome. The defending champion headed into the final with the fourth fastest time of 1:00.543. In order to guarantee a podium finish the pair would have to break the one minute barrier. Despite achieving this and clocking a time of 59.312, teammate James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd bettered the duo by 0.348 seconds. A thrilling final and first medal in Paris for Neil and Matt.

“I think we’re both proud of ourselves. We came for the gold but it was always going to be hard. I thought we rode really well all day today, we executed the plan the way we wanted it to. Our opening lap has been mega, but I felt like I didn’t have the legs at the end of the race today and that’s where our teammates had the better of us. It’s the only time they’ve ever gone quicker than us so fair play to them, I think we can be really proud of ourselves, we couldn’t have done more today.” Said Neil.

From the Para cycling track to the Para athletics track, both Melanie Woods and Sammi Kinghorn were in action in the 800m T54 and T53 respectively.

Melanie clocked a new PB time of 1:45.81 to finish third in her heat and bag her spot in the 800m final T54. The Para athlete from Glasgow put in another solid performance in the final, setting another PB time of 1:43.85 to finish fifth.

Sammi Kinghorn had a straight final of the women’s 800m T53 and claimed silver behind Catherine Debrunner (SUI) who retained her Paralympic crown.

Sammi secured the silver medal with a superb time of 1:42.96.

In boccia, the dream of finally winning a Paralympic medal has come true for Stephen McGuire as he progresses to the gold medal final of the men’s individual BC4 competition (Monday 2nd, 4pm BST).

Stephen leaned on his years of experience and kept his cool to beat Davor Komar 5-3 in the semifinal (1-0, 3-0, 1-0, 0-3).

“It’s incredible. It’s 20 years hard work, I’ve wanted this for 20 years. I’ve been working with my coach for 10 years so it’s been a long, long process. To finally get that medal for myself and ParalympicsGB is a dream come true.” Said Stephen.

Reflecting on his semifinal performance, the 40-year-old from Hamiltonn said: “He [Davor] is European champion so it was always going to be a tough game but I just battled. I got the angles I needed, put him under pressure and scored points at critical moments, which was key.”

A Paralympic medal is the only medal that Stephen hasn’t got. The only question that remains now, is will it be silver or gold.

“I’ll certainly enjoy the final. I perform well in finals, there’s no pressure as you’ve made it to the end. I’ve enjoyed the whole event and I will enjoy the final.”

Stephen will face Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica in the tomorrow’s (2nd) final.

Meanwhile Edinburgh’s Patrick Wilson’s Paralympic campaign came to an end when Croatia’s Damian Iskrzycki (with ramp operator, Dariusz Borowski) defeated him 4-1, in the men’s individual BC3 quarterfinal.

“Pretty gutted. I was trying to do the right things but they weren’t coming off. I almost came back in the third end but it didn’t quite happen.” Said Paddy.

Reflecting on the game, he said: “I definitely belong here but at the moment need to put it all behind me.”

“We can never forget the support we have. Great support from friends and family.”

Despite the loss, Patrick (with ramp operator Meredith Greenwood) put in a solid performance in what was an extremely competitive event.

It was a nail-biting quarter final in Para archery, with Nathan Macqueen up for Great Britain in the men’s individual compound. Nathan was beaten by just one point (143-142) by the American Matt Stutzman (the ‘armless archer’).

“I think it was lost on the first end. I shot 9-8-9 and if I hadn’t done that, I would have had him. I’ve shot against him before but never in this kind of setting, final-style.” Said Nathan.

“It’s quite hard, it was noisy – I thought I was up against a Frenchman for a second. I’ll chill now, see my family – I shot really well, it was just that first end. I’m happy and I’ll go into tomorrow (mixed team) with confidence.”

Nathan will play alongside Jodie Grinham in the Mixed Team Compound Open Quarterfinal, tomorrow (2nd) at 4:50pm BST.

Faye Rogers made headlines in the pool this morning by breaking the Scottish record in the women’s 100m freestyle S10, with a time of 1:01.90. After finishing joint third in the morning heats with Columbian swimmer Maria Paula Barrera Zapata, Faye was forced to compete in a swim-off but missed out on a Paralympic debut final by 0.06 seconds.

“I couldn’t be happier. I know I didn’t win and didn’t make the final but it was a huge PB and I can’t ask for much more than that and the first time I’ve been under 62 seconds which is cool.” Said Faye.

She continued to say: “The crowd is motivating me so much. I wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with it but it’s the coolest thing ever. I get so excited walking out and I’m trying to stop grinning the whole time which is really hard as I actually love it.”

It was a solid start in Paris for Gordon Reid, who took the win in both opening pool matches in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles and doubles.

He cruised to victory in the singles first, beating Sri Lanka’s Suresh Dharmasena 6-0, 6-0.

“I’m happy with that as a starting point. He can be a tricky opponent, if you give him time he can strike a good ball so I think I made it uncomfortable for him. For the first match, to get used to the conditions, courts, match play, I’m happy with the start.” Said Gordon.

Gordon, who is ranked number five, will face Japan’s Takuya Miki (ninth seed) tomorrow (2nd) at 11am BST.

The Scot had a few hours to rest and recharge ahead of his doubles game with Alfie Hewett against Chile’s Alexander Cataldo and Bryan Tapia. The duo left plenty in the tank though to take the game 6-1, 6-3.

It’s a fifth consecutive Paralympic Games for Gordon and together with Alfie, they’ll be searching for the one big doubles title that has eluded them so far.

In wheelchair basketball, it was another defeat for Robyn Love and Jodie Waite, after losing to Canada in yesterday’s pool game and today to the People’s Republic of China.

The People’s Republic of China continued their winning streak to remain undefeated in their pool in Paris. Despite a thrilling fourth quarter, the final score read 47-62 (9-16, 13-18, 9-11, 16-17). The result of tonight’s Canada versus Spain game, will determine where Great Britain finish in Pool A.

31/08/2024

World Record Breaking Swim by Stephen Clegg to Claim a First Gold for the Scots in Paris

It was a golden swim for Stephen Clegg in the men’s 100m backstroke S12, who set a new world record on his way to claiming the Paralympic title.

It was the perfect start to his Paralympic campaign in Paris and the win marked his first ever Paralympic gold medal in Para swimming.

He said: “In Tokyo and Rio, nerves crippled me and that was me done. Now they fuel me. I know I’m ready to go when I’ve got tingles in my fingers and I had them in my heat and final today. I knew there was something good coming.”

The Scot looked strong in the morning heat, finishing nearly a second ahead of the field. His dominance continued in the evening when he clocked a new world’s best time of 59.02 – 1.65 seconds faster than second place.

“Not long ago this was one of my weaker events and now I’m a world record holder”, said the swimmer who trains in Edinburgh.

“That gold had been a long time coming. Now the pressure is off a little bit in terms of that sort of barrier I’ve had. What a way to start for me, I’m over the moon with it.”

In wheelchair basketball the women’s team suffered a loss to Canada following a very tight game, 54-63.

After a strong start to take the opening quarter 13-10, Canada had a great comeback to win both the second and third quarters (11-19, 12-22). Great Britain closed out strong with a 18-12 win in the final quarter but it was too little too late.

It was a crucial win for Canada who secure second place in the pool, with Great Britain slotting in third place ahead of Spain. The People’s Republic of China top their pool with four points but it’s still all to play for in the women’s game.

In boccia, despite losing his final pool match in the morning – conceding 2-4 to Canada’s Iulian Ciobanu – Stephen McGuire finished top of the pools to head into the evening’s quarterfinals with confidence.

Stephen showed why he is one of the best in the men’s individual BC4, by bouncing back to have a convincing 6-1 win over Yuk Wing Leung (HKG).

“It’s a massive day, the champion. He won the gold medal in Rio, and he also medalled in Tokyo. It was always going to be a tough match. Always 50/50 matches that we play together but he’s always done well at the Paralympics. He has always got that medal so to get over that line in the quarter final for me to be playing for a medal, I’m delighted.” Said Stephen.

He continued to say: “This is probably up there with one of the best games I’ve ever played, the best results I’ve ever had. This one and probably the world championship final that I won in 2016. This certainly ranks as one of the best.”

Stephen will now face Croatia’s Davor Komar in the semifinals tomorrow (Sunday 1st) at 10:55am BST.

Edinburgh based Patrick Wilson (with ramp operator, Meredith Greenwood) dominated his final pool match with a 9-0 win over Karabo Morapedi (RSA) in the men’s individual BC3. He qualified ahead of teammate William Arnott, to cements his spot in tomorrow’s (Sunday 1st) quarterfinal against Damian Iskrzycki (Poland).

Meanwhile in the women’s individual BC2, Kayleigh Haggo gave a great performance in her quarterfinal but couldn’t match the strength of Gischa Zayana (INA), who took the game 8-2. Whilst this marks the end of her individual competition in Paris, Kayleigh will feature alongside teammate David Smith and Claire Taggart in the mixed team on Tuesday 3rd.

30/08/2024

Boccia Success Continues on Day 2 of the Paris 2024 Paralympics

Two out of three Scottish boccia athletes won their matches on Day 2 in Paris.

By Bethany Lee

It was another intense day for ParalympicsGB’s Scottish boccia athletes.

Stephen McGuire continued his winning streak and Kayleigh Haggo was victorious after a nail-bitting game. Patrick Wilson faced a tough match against the current world number one in the BC3 men’s division.

This morning, Stephen McGuire had his second win in the men’s individual BC4 game against Ukraine’s Artemis Kolinko.

He took an immediate lead with strategic shots and confidently closed the game with a 7-1 win.

Stephen said: “Artem is a pairs European champion so he’s a tough opponent. In terms of the structure of the group it was important to get that win so I’m very happy.”

“The dream is to get a medal for Paralympics GB. I’m just going to keep going through the rounds and see where that takes me. There’s less nerves this time out and I think that comes down to experience.”

Today’s win follows Stephen’s victorious 8-0 game yesterday.

He said: “Two wins out of two, I’ve got one group game left so fingers crossed. If I win that one, I’m through and I top the group so that’s my goal.”

Continuing Scotland’s success, Kayleigh Haggo returned to the court for the women’s individual BC2 game against Portugal’s Ana Correia.

After a close start, the fourth end saw Kayleigh secure a sweeping 6-2 win.

Kayleigh said: “I feel amazing. To get the first win, I can’t believe it.

“I’m really happy I’ve used what I’ve learned – I’ve played Ana three times in the last six months and won all three despite her being ranked higher than me. So it gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”

A busy day awaits Kayleigh tomorrow with the women’s individual BC2 quarterfinal.

She said: “I came here with no expectations and no pressure so to get into the quarterfinal would be amazing.”

The day ended with Patrick Wilson’s tough match against Daniel Michel (AUS), number one in the world in men’s BC3.

Australia are favourites in boccia at this year’s Paris 2024 Paralympics, and David is amongst their best competitors.

Despite leading strong with 2 points in the first end, Patrick missed out on the win by 7-2.

“He is the best in the world right now and he had to be at his best to beat me. I’m not out by any means so I come back tomorrow. I could be out tomorrow or be in – anything is possible. I had fun, I had a good time. That is why we come – for that.”

You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here. 

27/08/2024

Faye Rogers is Ready to Take on Paris

“Going to the Paralympic Games is just insane and I am so excited.” – Faye Rogers is ready for her Paralympic Games debut at Paris 2024.

By William Moncrieff

The 21-year-old Para swimmer – who studies at the University of Aberdeen – will be competing in the women’s 100m Butterfly S10, 100m freestyle S10, 400m freestyle S10 and the 200m individual medley SM10 in Paris.

Faye first found out that she was going to become a Paralympian after the Para swimming trials in April. She was nervous immediately after as she felt unwell and wasn’t completely happy with her performance. However, she got selected and was over the moon to get the news.

“It was so exciting to get that confirmation through,” said Faye.

“I just want to go and be my best, make all of that hard work pay off.”

Faye took up Para swimming after a serious car crash left her with life changing injuries. When looking back over the journey she has been on, Faye is incredibly proud with how she reacted.

“I am quite proud of myself for sticking with it and getting to this point”, said Faye, who has been swimming since aged nine.

She continued to say: “As much as my journey in swimming hasn’t looked as I expected it to look as a child, I am still just really proud of myself where I’ve got to.”

“I didn’t dare to dream about the Paralympics until a year and a half ago,” said Faye.

“Following my accident and impairment I didn’t know whether I would be good enough.” Faye made the Paralympics a goal of hers after trials for the World Championships in 2023. It was here that she realised her potential in the sport and consequently, she gave herself a pep talk: “I’ve got a year to work and get myself selected.”

Adding: “That was the point that it became a goal rather than a dream.”

Just a day out from the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Faye has had time to reflect on her journey as an athlete.

“I think having that goal and having that to aim for and work for has been pretty much the only thing that has got me through the last three years. Having a serious accident and being told that you aren’t going to be able to do something that you have done all your life, something you love, is really hard.”

She continued to say, “I think having in the back of my mind there is the Paralympics and I can achieve everything that I wanted to achieve was sort of life changing.”

All of the best of luck in Paris, Faye!

Make sure to follow the action live on Channel 4 and keep up-to-date by following SDS on Facebook, X and Instagram. More information and the competition schedule is available on the SDS website.

31/07/2024

YPSP Member Shares Their Summer Camp Experience

By Dana Brand, Young Person’s Sport Panel member

At the start of July, I had the pleasure of volunteering at the annual SDS Summer Camp at Badaguish. As this was something completely out of my comfort zone, I really couldn’t have predicated how amazing this experience would be.

Volunteers arrived the day before participants. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, and we all got stuck in to preparing for the week ahead. Later that evening, we had a rundown of the weeks plans before a lovely dinner and heading to bed!

Bright and breezy on the Wednesday morning, chef Andy prepared a lovely cooked breaky before a jam-packed day of amazing activities! I had the joy of standing in the pouring rain with Gillian to welcome parents and their children to the camp. After everyone arrived, we jumped straight into a hearty lunch of pizza and pasta. Campers were then divided into three teams: red, blue and green.

LET’S GO BLUE TEAM!

Our afternoon started with some athletics, tennis and curling. Blue team thoroughly enjoyed their time curling. This activity was also a first for me and it quickly became one of my favourites! We then all got ready and put on our waterproofs to head to Loch Insh for water sports and archery, followed by a lovely evening dinner! Blue team started off with water sports where everyone got the choice of kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding. I joined in and got in a kayak for the very first time too and it was an amazing experience. By the time our session for water sports had finished, some of the kids were in the water swimming and I was soaked from being splashed so many times! We then got dried off and changed before tucking into a yummy dinner – I went for a veggie burger followed by some delicious sticky toffee pudding.

After dinner we had our last activity of the day, archery. It was wonderful to see the kids all helping each other, with adaptations being made to ensure everyone could participate. Having group members with a sight impairment taught the kids to use their words and guide their fellow campers for each activity, which really brought the group together!

We then headed back to the camp. As it was quite late, we went straight to our lodges and got cosy before enjoying some tasty hot chocolate before bed. We had an absolutely amazing first day, and everyone seemed to gel really well together.

Day two started with an early rise to get breakfast and lunch prepared in our lodge. Campers were encouraged to be independent and help each other, and the girls in my lodge did exactly that! We then set out to meet everyone else and split into our teams. The morning began with some boccia, goalball and football. It was great to see the children find activities that they really enjoyed and try so many new sports!

We then travelled to Glenmore Lodge where we ate our packed lunches before setting of on our expedition to the Green Loch. Not only was this challenging for the kids, but it was also challenging for me. With such busy days of activities, I was in a lot of pain however seeing the motivation from all the kids and the sheer determination shown from the campers was a big help in keeping me going too. Everyone worked so well as a team, making sure we all made it to the beautiful Green Loch and I couldn’t be prouder of my team.

After completing our expedition, everyone returned to Badaguish Outdoor Centre and tucked into some well-deserved dinner of fajitas or macaroni! We then had a fun filled evening enjoying an array of activities across the lodges from nail painting and hair art to uno and karaoke, there was something for everyone!

Our last day of camp started with an early rise. We had breakfast in our lodges before packing up to head home that afternoon. Back in our teams we had the chance to try out some cycling with some amazing adaptable bikes. This was definitely one of the top activities of the week with everyone having massive smiles across their faces. This was followed by the famous camp De Courcy games, the final team activity before the announcement of the John De Courcy Trophy! This involved the team listening closely and working together to complete a series of obstacle courses in a limited time.

Before announcing the winners of this years camp, parents joined their kids for a tasty camp BBQ. After everyone was fed, we gathered to announce this year’s camp winners, BLUE TEAM!!! To be part of the winning team for my first camp volunteering was the cherry on the cake. What an amazing week with some truly amazing kids – this experience couldn’t have been any better.

24/07/2024

Alison Peasgood and Brooke Gillies (guide) Make ParalympicsGB Para Triathlon Squad

ParalympicsGB announces largest ever Para triathlon squad for Paris 2024

The team of eleven Para triathletes and three guides will compete in Paris on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 September on what will be a truly iconic course in the heart of the French capital.

Alison Peasgood and her guide, Brooke Gillies, will be representing Scotland in the squad.

Peasgood, who won silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympics (women’s PTVI classification) and finished fourth at the last summer Games in Tokyo, will be racing in Paris having given birth to her first child in August 2023, with Gillies making her Games debut.

Looking ahead to her third Games, Peasgood commented: “It’s been such an emotional rollercoaster to get to this point of qualifying for my third Games. When I was holding my tiny baby in my arms last August, I didn’t know how it was all going to be possible.

“It’s taken a village to get me to this point and I’m grateful to all of them for their support. I am looking forward to representing ParalympicsGB alongside my amazing guide Brooke. Not sure what my son Logan will make of it all, but I hope one day he will be proud to have been part of this journey with me.”

Peasgood and Gillies will be in action in the women’s PTVI (Vision Impaired), on Monday 2nd September.

Joining Peasgood and Gillies will be Tokyo champion Lauren Steadman (Women’s PTS5), who’ll be looking to defend her title, whilst in the same classification Claire Cashmore will represent ParalympicsGB for the sixth time in search of her tenth medal. Cashmore came home from Tokyo with bronze from her first Games as a Para triathlete having previously competed in Para swimming.

Speaking on her fifth Paralympic Games selection, Steadman said: “It feels super exciting to be selected for my fifth Games. I am very honoured to fly the flag for British Triathlon and ParalympicsGB again and will do everything within my power to defend my gold medal.

“It’s just really exciting that if there was a little Lauren who was 14 years old starting her journey again, how proud she would be of the Lauren stepping up to go and race in Paris.

“I’m very, very excited and I hope that the legacy I can leave behind is not just of great sporting achievements but also that if anyone who dares to believe, dares to dream, they can have the career that they’d love to.”

Six-time world champion, Dave Ellis (Men’s PTVI), will race with long-term guide Luke Pollard with the pair looking to add to their World and Commonwealth champion status having suffered a DNF as a result of a mechanical failure on their bike in Tokyo.

Michael Taylor (Men’s PTS4) will also return having finished seventh in Tokyo, whilst Mel Nicholls (Women’s PTWC) will compete in her third Paralympic Games and her first since moving into Para triathlon. Nicholls has previously represented ParalympicsGB in Para athletics and only switched to Para triathlon in 2022.

Another athlete new to the sport who has made the ParalympicsGB team for Paris is Henry Urand (Men’s PTS3). The Loughborough University student made the transition from Para cycling to Para triathlon in 2023 and has qualified for his first Paralympic Games having finished first or second in five of his six international races in the last 12 months.

Speaking on being selected for his first Games, Urand said: “I am honoured to be selected as a part of the Para triathlon team heading out to Paris. It feels surreal at the moment, and not something I thought was possible when I switched to triathlon 15 months ago.

“It means so much being able to go to Paris and showcase Para sport to the world stage. It is extra special that it is a Games that is close to home, where family and friends can come and watch.”

Also making their Games debuts in Paris will be Finley Jakes (Men’s PTS4), Hannah Moore and Megan Richter (both Women’s PTS4), and Oscar Kelly and his guide Charlie Harding in the men’s PTVI classification.

Kelly and Harding also teamed up to represent England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Moore and Richter sharing six medals between them so far this year. Jakes has developed through the British Triathlon system, progressing from taking part in a Talent ID Day, through the pathway and onto the World Class Programme to reach his first Paralympic Games.

Tom Hodgkinson, Head of Paratriathlon at British Triathlon, said of the squad: “To be able to take a large and talented team of athletes and guides to Paris is incredibly exciting for me, British Triathlon and the sport in Britain.

“Across the team we’ve got stories of success, comebacks and personal triumphs. Lauren coming back into the team having taken time away to start her PhD, Alison returning as a mother, and Dave and Luke returning to the top of the sport again after some bad luck in Tokyo really show the people behind the results.

“We’ve also got a strong cohort of athletes who’ve put performances together throughout 2024 to secure qualification. There were a lot of challenges last year which have been overcome and the character demonstrated puts us as a team in a good place moving forwards.

“Everyone in the squad has a fantastic story to tell of this cycle and with a team of people behind them who have helped get them to this point. The coming weeks from our holding camp in France and through to Paris will be an amazing next chapter in those stories and I’m looking forward to shaping and sharing the experience with the selected athletes of ParalympicsGB for Paris 2024.”

Penny Briscoe, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 said: “I want to congratulate every athlete and guide on this selection milestone as part of the biggest Para triathlon squad to ever represent ParalympicsGB. With the experience of athletes such as Lauren Steadman, Claire Cashmore and Dave Ellis combined with some exciting ParalympicsGB debutants this is further proof of the breadth of talent we have across a diverse range of sports as we head towards Paris 2024.”

At Tokyo 2020, ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

Sunday 1 September (PTS2-5)

Lauren Steadman (PTS5) – From Peterborough, Trains in London

Claire Cashmore (PTS5) – From Kidderminster, Trains in Loughborough

Michael Taylor (PTS4) – From Barnstaple, Trains in Bristol/Bath

Finley Jakes (PTS4) – From Eastbourne, Trains in Loughborough

Megan Richter (PTS4) – From Birmingham, Trains in Birmingham

Hannah Moore (PTS4) – from Stalbridge, Trains in Loughborough

Henry Urand (PTS3) – from Ashford, Trains in Loughborough

Monday 2 September (PTVI & PTWC)

Dave Ellis (PTVI) – From Derby, Trains in Loughborough

Luke Pollard (guide to Dave Ellis) – From Telford, Trains in Loughborough

Alison Peasgood (PTVI) – From Dunfermline, Trains in Loughborough

Brooke Gillies (guide to Alison Peasgood) – from Fife, Trains in Loughborough

Oscar Kelly (PTVI) – From Redbridge, Trains in Loughborough

Charlie Harding (guide to Oscar Kelly) – From Penrith, Trains in Nottingham

Mel Nicholls (PTWC) – From Tewkesbury, Trains in Tewkesbury/Loughborough