The second phase of Commonwealth Games Triathlon selections from Team England was confirmed today, with details of the Team England paratriathlon team that will race in Sutton Park, Birmingham.
After featuring PTWC (Wheelchair) athletes on the Commonwealth Games programme four years ago in Gold Coast – won by Jade Jones and Joe Townsend – in Birmingham the PTVI (visually impaired) athletes will take centre stage.
Today’s news follows up on that from January, when four of Team England’s Elite triathlon squad were confirmed.
Experience and youth
The team announcement is really a mix of generations, with long-term experience joined by new athletes that have made rapid progress within the world of paratriathlon over the past 12 months.
The four athletes and two of their guides are:
- Dave Ellis, Loughborough, a four-time world and European champion in paratriathlon who competed at the Beijing Paralympic Games in para-swimming and Tokyo 2020 in paratriathlon.
- Luke Pollard, Ashton-under-Lyne (Ellis’ Guide), a Senior Aircraftman in the RAF who has been a guide for Ellis since 2019 including winning golds at World and European Championships.
- Oscar Kelly, Stockport, the current British PTVI champion who claimed silver on his international debut at a World Triathlon Para Cup last year along with top-six finishes at the World and European Championships.
- Charlie Harding, Penrith (Kelly’s Guide), started guiding Kelly in 2021 including to a sixth-place finish at World Triathlon Para Championships Abu Dhabi.
- Katie Crowhurst, Maidenhead, had a breakthrough end to 2021 securing silver on her international debut a week before finishing sixth at her first World Triathlon Para Championships.
- Melissa Reid, Truro, a double Paralympian and multiple world and European medallist, including winning world and European titles, who claimed bronze at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Guides for Melissa and Katie will be announced in the build-up to the Games.
Part of the Pride
Team England’s Chef de Mission, Mark England OBE, welcomed the athletes to the team: “The paratriathlon is always a special event and I’m very happy to welcome the athletes and two of their guides to Team England for the home Commonwealth Games.
“With previous medal winners and Generation 22 athlete David Ellis among the ranks, I’m excited to see how the team perform and I want to wish them luck as they aim to ‘Bring It Home’ this summer.”
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event with a fully integrated programme of para sport disciplines and this year’s Games promises to be extra special with full stadiums and arenas after Tokyo 2020 took place behind closed doors.
Birmingham 2022 is set to have the largest ever female and para sport programme in history after a new discipline of Women’s T20 Cricket and Beach Volleyball and Para Table Tennis were confirmed.
We had the opportunity to speak to all of the team selected this morning, click here for their reaction.
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