Paralympic World Cup : David Weir Leads GB Athletes For BT Paralympic World Cup

Double Paralympic champion Weir is joined by multiple British medallists including Ian Jones, Shelly Woods and Libby Clegg as the home nation takes on athletes representing Europe, the Americas and Rest of The World for the BT Paralympic World Cup trophy.

30-year-old Weir will take to the track to defend his 800m and 1,500m BT Paralympic World Cup titles, the distances which also saw him claim gold in Beijing.

Weir said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is a great opportunity for me to race against the best in the world in my own country in front of a home crowd. I really get a buzz out of it and it’s the stepping stone to my season.”

The full line up for the GB team is: David Weir (Wallington), Mickey Bushell (Shrewsbury), Daniel Lucker (Abergavenny), Benjamin Rushgrove (Bath), Graeme Ballard (Chorley), Michael Churn (Manchester), Ian Jones (Manchester), Johnny Peacock, Brian Alldis (Bury St Edmunds), Nathan Stephens (Bridgend), Dan West (Carrington), Chris Martin (Nottingham), Dan Greaves (Leicester), Aled Davies (Bridgend), James Ball (Newport), Paul Willis (Halifax), David Devine (Merseyside), Stephen Miller (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne), Libby Clegg (Newcastleton), Hazel Robson (Sunderland), Katrina Hart (Redditch), Jenny McLoughlin (Stockport), Stefanie Reid (London), Shelly Woods (Blackpool), Sophie Hancock (Loughborough) and Victoria Silk (Folkestone).

The events at the Manchester Regional arena will host the world’s leading disability athletes on the track and field and tickets for officially go on sale today at www.btparalympicworldcup.com

A fresh face will be joining the stellar line-up as New Zealand-born sprinter Stefanie Reid makes her debut appearance in a GB vest, the athlete, who has British citizenship, has moved to the UK from Canada.

Aged just 19 Reid took up the sport after a boating accident at the age of 16 resulted in her leg being amputated below the knee. Four years later, the aspiring athlete competed in the long jump and 200m at the Paralympics in Beijing, winning bronze in the latter and is a great talent ahead of London 2012.

Reid, now aged 25, said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is always one of my favourite meets of the year. It is the most professional meet I have ever attended, on par with the Paralympics, which is why it provides such great competition preparation early in the season. I am always excited to compete here, rain or shine! I have made a lot of changes in the past four months, so I am looking forward to seeing where I am at, along with where my competition is at.”

Peter Eriksson, UKA Paralympic Head Coach, sad, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is an excellent opportunity for the GB athletes to compete in a world class competition on home soil.

“This year represents a major step in our preparations for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and with the IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand in January 2011, this event is crucial as athletes aim for qualification standards over the summer. The event also gives us the opportunity to showcase the talent we have on the UKA World Class Programme and allows our established talent, plus a number of new names, to take on the rest of the world. I have high performance hopes for the team.”

The confirmed GB team and events are:

Dan West	F33/34/54-57 Discus
Chris Martin	F33/34/54-57 Discus
Dan Greaves	F42/44 Discus
Aled Davies	F42/44 Discus
Stephen Miller	F32/51 Club (showcase event)
Thomas Green	F32/51 Club (showcase event)
Libby Clegg	T11/12 100m & 200m
Hazel Robson	T36/37 100m & 200m
Katrina Hart	T36/37 100m & 200m
Jenny McLoughlin	T36/37 100m & 200m
Stefanie Reid	T44.46 100m & 200m
Shelly Woods	T53/54 800m & 1,500m
Sophie Hancock	F12/13/40 Shot
Victoria Silk	F12/13/40 Shot

The BT Paralympic World Cup is the world’s largest annual multi-sport elite disability event and major international stars and a strong British contingent are expected.

The competition will be staged in Manchester from 25-31 May, with over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.

For the first time this year, a team challenge has been introduced which sees Great Britain take on teams from the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World, with athletes competing for the overall BT Paralympic World Cup trophy.

Athletes will compete in four sports at world class competition venues in Manchester: Athletics, Wheelchair Basketball, Football 7-a-side at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Tickets for the BT Paralympic World Cup are now on sale and can be purchased via the event website: www.btparalympicworldcup.com or by calling 0844 8471622. Tickets are priced at £6 per session.

BT is the title sponsor of the Paralympic World Cup; the sponsorship runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.

The BT Paralympic World Cup is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association (CPISRA) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and supported by BT, ParalympicsGB, the FA, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

The BBC, the official televised partner to the event, will broadcast live from the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Monday 31 May 2010 on BBC Television.

The event schedule will see Athletics on 25 May, Football 7-a-side on 26-29 May and Wheelchair Basketball on 27-30 May, all at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on 31 May.

Follow the BT Paralympic World Cup on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BTPWC

Great Britain were crowned BT Paralympic World Cup trophy champions on the final day of the competition, which saw the world's best Paralympic swimmers in action at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Oscar Pistorius stole the show with two gold medals as his Rest of the World side moved within sight of victory after a whirlwind day at the BT Paralympic World Cup.

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