Archie Atkinson, Cycling
Atkinson, the 19-year-old C4 individual pursuit world champion, is coming to Paris to compete in four events and “give 2,000,000%” in the ultimate act of sporting inflation. He has been taught track cycling by Chris Hoy and offered career advice during a chance encounter with double Paralympic gold medallist Ben Watson. The omens are good for Atkinson. The only downside? A confession that his favourite pre-race meal is a bowl of rice with Biscoff spread.
Bly Twomey, table tennis
An 11-strong table tennis team will travel to Paris and 14-year-old Twomey will soon secure her place. She only started playing the sport three years ago and is now ranked fourth in the world in the C7 category for people with cerebral palsy. She trains with multiple medallist Will Bayley and is a prodigy with a tough mentality. “When I’m sitting at the table, I think I’ve got a chance to win if I just keep going,” she says. “You don’t give up until the last point is done.”
Rachel Choong, Badminton
Few athletes have waited as long for their Paralympic debut or have such outstanding credentials as Choong, a ten-time world champion. With badminton only added to the Games’ programme in 2020 and her SH6 classification excluded, Choong had to content herself with commentating on the events in Tokyo. Now Paris is calling for the 30-year-old and she is determined to seize the opportunity. “If you are prepared to give it your all, hopefully it will pay off,” she says.
Iona Winnifrith, Swimming
Another super-young star, this time in the pool, is Winnifrith, who is only 13 years old but won two European titles this year in the SB7 100m breaststroke and the SM7 individual medley. Her exceptional talent earned her five medals in 2022, her first year of competition, meaning her debut, scheduled for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, had to be brought forward.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper, Athletics
The 23-year-old is making her Paralympic debut in the T54 class and has an unprecedented record of success. In April she became the first British wheelchair racer to win the Boston Marathon and a week later she finished sixth in London. In a short time she has become one of the leading figures in a highly competitive field.
