TeamGB

Judo 3 athletes in 3 events Dan Powell - Men's -90kg J1 - WR3 - World silver medallist - 2022 commonwealth champ (Able bodied) Evan Molloy - Men's - 90kg J2 - WR7 - World bronze medallist Chris Skelley - Men's +90kg J2 - WR 4 - Defending champ and world silver medallist. All 3 medallists medalled at last years worlds, and I see know reason why they can't do it again. GB won a gold and a silver in Tokyo, and they can certainly match that. They don't have any dominant athletes but they can all win on their day. My prediction - 1 Gold, 1 bronze

Equestrian 4 athletes in 9 events All athletes will compete in the team as well as both championship and freestyle individual events Mari Durward-Akhurst - Class 1 - WR 1 Georgia Wilson - Class 2 - WR 5 - 2x Tokyo bronze Natasha Baker - Class 3 - WR 5 - 2x Tokyo silver Sophie Wells - Class 5 - WR 1 - Tokyo Silver Team - WR - 4 I'm not really the equestrian expert, so I'll just impart some basic knowledge. The team failed to win a medal at the world champs for the first time in a long time, potentially ever. The rankings feel to be like they lean towards those with the most competitions entered, rather than the best riders, so it's hard to make any judgements. Sophie Well's first choice horse has been rules out through injury so she is taking her reserve, on whom she scored a huge PB of 82+% in June. For context, the Belgian world champion scored 82.86%. The team won 3 golds and 8 medals in Tokyo, and I have no idea what they are going to do in Paris. My very unknowledgeable prediction - 2 golds and 5 medals.

I really wish world athletics took a stronger position on this aspect of Bahraini athletics, they just kind of added it on the end to appease people without really addressing the problem. When your entire athletics team is made up of naturalised athletes you must be doing something wrong. For me, the worst case has to be Salwa Eid Naser, who changed her name to compete for Bahrain from Nigeria. You can't blame the athletes because they are doing the best for their careers, but to me it send out the wrong image for the athletics community.

Track Cycling 15 athletes in 14 events The Kilo/500m events are split into the same groups as the road races, C1-3, C4-5 and B, with times being adjusted for classes. The Individual Pursuit events are split for each class, except for the women's C1-C3 pursuit. Men's B squad - James Ball - TT + IP - 2023 + 2024 TT silver, - Neil Fachie - TT + IP - 2023 + 2024 TT world champ - Steve Bate - TT - 2023 bronze and 2024 silver Men's C1-C3 Squad - Matthew Robertson - IP - C2 - Fin Graham - TT + IP - C3 - 2023 + 2024 IP Silver - Jaco van gass - TT + IP -C3 - 2023 Double + 2024 IP gold Men's C4-C5 Squad - Archie Atkinson - TT + IP - C4 - 2024 IP world champ - Jody Cundy - TT - C4 - 2023 + 2024 World champ - Blaine Hunt - TT + IP - C5 - 2023 + 2024 TT world champ Women's B squad - All TT + IP - Lora Fachie - IP paralympic champion - Lizzie Jordan - 2024 double world champion - Sophie Unwin - 2024 double world champion Fran Brown - C1 - TT - 2023 world Silver Daphne Schrager - C2 - IP - 2024 World champ Kadeena Cox - C4 - TT - 2023 + 2023 World champ Mixed Team Sprint - Paralympic Champions - 2023 and 2024 world silver The team won 6 golds and 14 medals in Tokyo. The squad has changed a bit since then, but 5 of the gold medal winners are still there, with the exception of Sarah Storey, who is just focusing on the road. Kadeena Cox has suffered an injury, so her form is a bit unknown, but she was so dominant that she could still win at 90% health. Neil Fachie and James ball have gone 1-2 and the TT at the last 2 worlds comfortably, so that gold looks pretty safe, same with both women's B events, and the men's C3 IP. Archie Atkinson was dominant at the worlds earlier in the year, and with GB having both double world champions in the C4-C5 TT, they are favourites there also. Schrager is a bit of an unkown, she qualified fastest (WR), at the 2023 worlds but was miles off her time in finals, she won in Rio, and was quicker then the winner C3, who she will be up against. I don't think she will win but she will likely medal. The mixed team sprint (Apparently mixed, but all 3 of Chinas athletes are male), will be a likely fight between GB and China, with china the favourites, especially if Cox is injured. My prediction - 6 golds and 14 medals, the same as Tokyo.

Road Cycling 13 athletes in 13 events. Time Trials are for each class and Road Races are in groups C1-C3, C4-C5 and B Men's B squad - Steve Bate - RR and TT - 2021 TT world champ and 2016 RR olympic champ Men's C1-C3 Squad - All RR and TT - Matthew Robertson - C2 - Fin Graham - C3 - 2x Road world Champ + world Time Trial Silver - Jaco van Gass - C3 - Ben Watson - C3 - RR and TT Paralympic champion Men's C4-C5 Squad - Archie Atkinson - RR and TT - C4 - World Bronze RR - Blaine Hunt - RR - C5 Women's B Squad - All RR + TT - Lora Fachie - Tokyo RR Silver - Lizzie Jordan - Sophie Unwin - RR silver + TT bronze Tokyo Women's C1 - C3 Squad - All RR + TT - Fran Brown - C1 - TT + RR world Champ - Daphne Schrager - C2 Women's C4-C5 Squad - Sarah Storey - RR + TT - C5 - Paralympic + World champ in RR + TT The squad is small but very strong. With 4 golds and 10 medals in Tokyo, I would expect them to improve on their performance. Although Sarah Storey isn't as strong as she used to (bear in mid she's 46), she is still favourite to retain both her titles, as is the men's C3 squad. With Katie George Dunlevy (Irish Athlete competing in B class) not as strong as in Tokyo, the women's B squad could also claim a few medal's and potentially (BIG IF), sweep the podiums. Fran Brown won the women's TT by 2 minutes 30 at the last worlds, so she seems pretty sure of gold as well. Unfortunatley for the men's B squad, the Dutch are too strong, and in the men's C4-C5, the better rider is Atkinson C4, so he may struggle against the C5's, as with Schragner vs the C3's. Saying that, Atkinson overlapped France's Le Cunff in the IP at the track worlds this year, and he won both the RR and TT at this years worlds and also won the C4-C5 RR in Tokyo, so he still a gold contender. This looks like a very good team, but often with the paralympics, other nations raise their game, so we will have to hope GB do the same. My prediction - 7 Golds and 12 medals.

Link for final GB group match

Boccia 7 athletes in 7 events David Smith - Men's BC1 - WR 1 -Paralympic champion Claire Taggart - Women's BC2 - WR 1 - 2022 world champion Kayleigh Haggo - Women's BC2 - WR 23 Will Arnott - Men's BC3 - WR 10 Patrick Wilson - Men's BC3 - WR 12 Sally Kidson - Women's BC3 - WR 25 Stephen Mcguire - Men's BC4 - WR 9 - 2016 world champion Mixed Team BC1/BC2 - WR 3 Mixed Pairs BC3 - WR 17 In theory there are 3 strong gold chances in the squad, David Smith, Claire Taggart and the Mixed Team. Smith's gold was the only medal in Tokyo and team should at least match that result. The rest of the squad may be able to eek out a couple of medals but it will be difficult. My prediction - 2 Golds, 3 medals

“recruit any foreign athletes” . surely they shouldn’t be doing that anyway.

GB definitely won't be competing in either of the 20 points relays, as they don't have enough lower classification athletes, same for the 34 points relays due to a lack of depth on the mens side. They will 100% be in the S14 relay. The only relay I'm not sure on is the Visually Impaired relay. They have enough athletes but they wouldn't really be swimming their favoured strokes. Also, the relay is 40 points, which would not be possible as VI swimmers are 11 points plus.

Badminton 4 athletes in 4 events Daniell Bethell - Men's singles SL3 - WR 2 - Paralympic Silver Medallist Krysten Coombes - Men's singles SH6 - WR 6 - Paralympic Bronze Medallist Jack Shephard - Men's Singles SH6 - WR 8 - 2022 world silver Rachel Choong - Women's singles SH6 - WR 4 Mixed Doubles SH6 - WR 1 - 2022 World Bronze In Tokyo, the sport made it's debut and the team brought home a silver and a bronze. On paper all 4 athletes could medal and even win but I don't think any of them are favourites in their categories. The strongest chance is Dan Bethell, having narrowly lost in the many global finals he has competed in. My prediction - 1 Gold, 3 medals

If you can get a VPN then Channel 4 in the UK is a great broadcaster of para sport.

Athletics 33 athletes in 41 events Nathan Maguire - Men's 400m T54 : WR 9 - Men's 800m T54 : WR 6 - 2024 World bronze medallist - Men's 1500m T54 : WR 4 Luke Nuttall - Men's 1500m T46 : WR 9 Jonnie Peacock - Men's 100m T64 : WR 4 - 2x Paralympic Champion Marcus Perrineau-Daley - Men's 100m T52 : WR 6 Ben Sandilands - Men's 1500m T20 : WR 2 - 2023 World Champion Zak Shaw - Men's 100m T12 : WR 4 - 2023 and 2024 World bronze medallist Daniel Sidbury - Men's 400m T54 : WR 8 - Men's 800m T54 : WR 3 - 2023 world bronze medallist - Men's 1500m T54 : WR 6 - Men's 5000m T54 : WR 3 - 2023 world bronze medallist Zak Skinner - Men's 100m T13 : WR 6 - Men's Long Jump T13 : WR 3 - 2023 world bronze medallist Isaac Towers - Men's 800m T34 : WR 7 - 2017 world bronze medallist David Weir - Men's 1500m T54 : WR 2 - 2012 Olympic Champion - Men's 5000m T54 : WR 2 - 2012 Olympic Champion - Men's Marathon T54 : WR 4 - Multi London Marathon winner Thomas Young - Men's 100m T38 : WR 2 - Paralympic Champion Karé Adenegan - Women's 100m T34 : WR 2 - Paralympic Silver - Women's 800m T34 : WR 2 - Paralympic Silver Fabienne André - Women's 100m T34 : WR 4 - 2023 World Bronze - Women's 800m T34 : WR 4 Olivia Breen - Women's 100m T38 - WR 6 - Women's Long Jump T38 - WR 3 - 2023 world silver medallist Hannah Cockroft - Women's 100m T34 : WR 1 - Paralympic Champion - Women's 800m T34 : WR 1 - Paralympic Champion Maddie Down - Women's 100m T38 - WR 7 - Women's Long Jump T38 - WR 8 Sophie Hahn - Women's 100m T38 - WR 1 - Paralympic Champion Sammi Kinghorn - Women's 100m T53 - WR 2 - 2023 World Champion - Women's 400m T53 - WR 2 - 2023 World Silver - Women's 800m T53 - WR 2 - 2023 World Silver - Women's 1500m T53 - WR 2 Didi Okoh - Women's 100m T63 - WR 4 Eden Rainbow Cooper - Women's 800m T54 - WR 15 - Women's 1500m T54 - WR 10 - Women's 5000m T54 - WR 10 - Women's Marathon T54 - WR 1 - Boston Marathon Winner Ali Smith - Women's 400m T38 - WR 9 Hannah Taunton - Women's 1500m T20 - WR 5 - Paralympic Bronze Mel Woods - Women's 400m T54 - WR 9 - Women's 800m T54 - WR 7 - Women's 1500m T54 - WR 7 Universal Relay - WR 2 - 2023 and 2024 World Silver Jonathan Broom Edwards - Men's High Jump T64 - WR 3 - Paralympic Champion Karim Cham - Men's Long Jump T38 - WR 2 Aled Davies - Men's Shot Put F63 - WR 1 - Paralympic Champion Dan Greaves - Men's Discus F64 - WR 3 - 2023 world Bronze Dan Pembroke - Men's Javelin - WR 1 - 2023 and 2024 World champion Harrison Walsh - Men's Discus F64 - WR 4 - 2023 world bronze Hollie Arnold - Women's Javelin F46 - WR 3 - 2023 and 2024 World champion Sabrina Fortune - Women's Shot Put F20 - WR 1 - 2023 and 2024 World Champion Anna Nicholson - Women's Shot Put F35 - WR 2 Funmi Odunwaye - Women's Shot Put F64 - WR 3 - Women's Discus F64 - WR 5 In Tokyo the team won 24 medals and 9 golds, and I feel they on track for a similar result. I count 5 almost guaranteed gold medals, with countless other strong gold contenders. Given the selection policy really only allows medal contending athletes to compete, all competitors have strong chances to return home with silverware. The women's T34 100m is the greatest chance of a GB 1-2-3, which happened at the 2023 worlds. Overall, 12 events have athletes who have either won a global title in the last paralympic cycle or are currently ranked world number 1. My prediction - 10 golds, 30 medals

Archery 4 athletes in 4 events. Nathan Macqueen - Men's Individual Compound : WR 3 and 2023 world silver medallist. Jodie Grinham - Women's Individual Compound : WR 11 Phoebe Patterson Pine - Women's Individual Compound : WR 13 and 2021 Olympic Champion Victoria Kingstone - Women's Individual Recurve : WR 9 Mixed Team Compound - WR 4 and European champions In Tokyo the team sent 7 athletes and won a Gold and a Bronze. No golds are expected but are certainly possible, with the strongest chances being Nathan Macqueen and the Mixed team compound. GB have won every Women's Compound Gold since 2008 and both athletes have the ability to continue this streak. My prediction - 0 gold, 2 medals

With the opening ceremony of the 2024 paralympics just a week away, I thought I would give a sport by sport preview of the GB athletes competing and their medal chances. Great Britain are sending 215 athletes in 19 sports and have been set a medal target of 100 - 140. For context, in Tokyo, they sent 227 athletes and won 124 medals, including 41 golds.

Does anyone know if any swimmers will be competing at the Paralympics? Russian wikipedia says there are 6, all from .

I'm proud that GB is one of the true sporting nations in terms of the spread of sports they are strong in, and for me that is the strategy that should work to bring in a decent amount of medals in the sense that not every sport will have a once in a generation athlete from another country sweeping the board at one time. What frustrates me is that there are plenty of paralympic sports in which we are very strong but cannot convert that to success for their Olympic counterparts. Take Para canoeing, the women's squad is very strong both in terms of depth and winning (taking 4/5 golds at the worlds last year, with the smallest winning margin being 1.4 seconds), and yet the able bodied squad only churns out a few good athletes every so often, and didn't even qualify anyone for Paris. Its not like the facilities/ expertise isn't available, it just seems the ethos of UK sport is to play to your strengths, and if you are not a strong squad, then you seem to be ignored. The lack of field athletes is really frustrating. If you look at the current global depth of throwing events in particular, it's not really that strong, and so developing a decent coaching system would likely have a medal payoff not in the distant future.

Yeah, the way I see it, is that he is equally proud to be British and Australian and was always intending to compete for both nations at some point in his career. I would assume that, given he has started dating Finucane , he thought he would speed up that process and hope to give himself a kickstart into the GB set up.

But if you add one, where does it end. In 50 years we will just have a 'summer' olympics every 2 years. Although, by then, there probably won't even be any snow left and they'll have no choice.

Yes, but not at the same extent at which would happen if Cross Country was added. Training between bobsled and athletics and running and cross country is very different

I think this came up before, but for me, any sport should only be in the winter olympics if it doesn’t have summer alternative with the same skillset. Realistically you don’t want any athletes doubling up between winter and summer.

Can we add and then.

https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/paris-olympics-statistical-review-1039991550/ Quite a nice article summing up GB's athletics performance. I didn't realise that Dobson ran a 43.33, which was only a few tenths slower than MHS, so I feel he has a big run in him at some point.

I actually quite liked the competition kit, to me it felt similar to Rio’s and quite classy. The podium kits however, enough said. They were pretty poor. In terms of coverage I tried to watch on BBC where possible so as to avoid adverts. When both athletics and swimming were on concurrently I enjoyed watching the BBC coverage and just letting them take me through all the events whilst I was having dinner, which was much more relaxing than flicking around channels. My favourite athlete commentator was definately Jasmine Sawyers, whilst my least favourite has to be James Cracknell, who singlehandledly, and quite ironically, summed up a lot of the problems UK rowing faces.

Taekwondo mixed team might be a nice addition, especially given the scoring system might allow for teams with some exceptional athletes to have a higher weighting compared to the judo mixed team.

I am currently away on holiday so I missed the last few days of action. Obviously I want to congratulate the club on being the most active community on Totallympics, and I think its really nice we all have different areas of expertise that we can bring forward. Just briefly on GB’s performance it was very strong in terms of medals, but a bit frustrating on the gold count. But thats just the nature of sport and I’m sure those tight margins will swing the other way in LA. Not really sure that any of the sports need to do any soul searching in the way that Rowing did after Tokyo. Looking forward to LA, I’m hopeful that this could be our biggest overseas team ever, given the inclusion of many team sports. From my reckoning we have the ability to qualify both genders for Baseball/softball, cricket, hockey, flag football, football (mens team rumours dependent), lacrosse and rugby sevens. In terms of ideas for the club heading to LA, I would recommend looking at what some of the other nations had been doing for Paris before it is all removed, for some inspiration. It might be nice to have a designated GB qualification tracker table or a calendar of upcoming GB qualification events. And finally, with the Paralympics not too far away, I hope we can have some kind of forum to discuss events, although likely not as large, given the strength of Para Sports in the UK