Taunton, Fortune and Durbidge Medal at IPC Athletics Grand Prix
Athletes, Hannah Taunton (Taunton, Somerset), Holly Durbidge (Norwich, Norfolk), and Sabrina Fortune (Deeside, Wales) returned from Dubai today having successfully competed at the 2018 World Para Athletics Grand Prix competition.
All three were invited by British Athletics to undergo sports specific classification testing and have an early season competitive opportunity in the T/F20 (intellectual impairment) class.
All three athletes competed well with Sabrina Fortune taking gold in the shot put in 10.81m and Hannah Taunton achieving double gold, in the 800m in a new PB of 2:23 and 1500m in 4:50. Holly Durbidge also made her mark by taking silver in the Long Jump in a new PB of 4.89m.
Both Holly Durbidge and former Paralympian Sabrina Fortune are UK Sports Association (UKSA) Athlete Reps and made their mark as Reps in the My Sport, My Voice programme. Holly began her career representing GB as part of the UK Sports Association’s GB Team to Inas European and World Championships.
Tracey McCillen, CEO UK Sports Association said “I am really pleased to see all three ladies successfully competed at the Dubai Grand Prix and are supported by British Athletics to do it. Congratulations to them all for registering some strong performances. I hope we see the number of athletes with intellectual impairment in athletics increase – there’s a lot of talent out there, all waiting for the right opportunity, whether progressing to Paralympics or through Inas Championships. We need British sport, DCMS and others to recognise and invest in both to achieve real equity in this class.”
Sarah Benson, UK Athletics Paralympic Pathway Manager said “As new athletes into the British Athletics Para Talent Development Squad, both Holly and Hannah were successfully taken through their first International Classification and were also provided with an opportunity to compete at their first World Para Athletics Grand Prix.”
Benson continued, “Both athletes won medals and produced new PBs displaying maturity and professionalism in such a new environment. Rio Paralympic medallist, Sabrina produced a winning performance in the shot put in a good opener to the 2018 season and was an excellent mentor for our new II athletes.”
The event started on 13th March and is one of 9 events that take place in four continents between 13 March and 1 July 2018.
For more information about the Dubai Championships and the IPC Grand Prix Series, contact UK Athletics.
For more information about the Inas European and World Athletics Championship programme, contact UKSA.
