Sprinters Sophie Kamlish and Polly Maton join Rio-bound contingent after Paralympic Games selection
Teenage sprinters Sophie Kamlish and Polly Maton today became the latest University of Bath-based athletes to be selected by ParalympicsGB for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Nineteen-year-old Kamlish – who competed at London 2012 (pictured) – had her place confirmed in the second wave of athletics selections, three days after setting a new T44 100m national record at the IPC Grand Prix Final.
That run of 13.35 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London was the third fastest in the world this year, just six-hundredths of a second behind Paralympic champion Marie-Amelie Le Fur’s world-leading time.
Kamlish is the second member of Rob Ellchuk’s coaching group at the Sports Training Village to be selected for Rio 2016, with three-times World Champion Paul Blake having been named in the first ParalympicGB athletics team announcement last month.
Maton, who is coached by Colin Baross at the University, will make her Paralympic debut in Rio. The 16-year-old T46 100m and 200m runner, from Devizes, is no stranger to the big stage, though, having reached the long jump final at the 2015 IPC World Championships in Doha.
Wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver and para-triathlon guide Nicole Walters, who both train at the University, are also in the Rio squad along with graduates Alexandra Rickham (sailing) and Louise Hunt (wheelchair tennis).
Today’s selection means that 20 athletes based at the University of Bath in total will be competing at Rio 2016 this summer, 15 of them at the Olympic Games from August 5-21.
Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University of Bath, said: “Congratulations to Sophie and Polly on their Paralympic Games selections. Sophie has trained at the University with Rob throughout her athletics career and it is great to see her going from strength to strength, while Polly has also shown tremendous potential and development. We wish them and Paul all the best in Rio.
“To have 20 athletes who train at the University of Bath selected for Rio, either for the Olympics or Paralympics, is a source of great pride.
“The Sports Training Village is often compared to a mini Olympic Village, with high-performance athletes from a wide range of sports training and pursuing sporting excellence side by side. It is truly inspirational to see so many of them achieve their goals – supported, of course, by their training groups, coaches and support staff.
“We are sure they will all do the city of Bath and our University proud in the weeks ahead.”
