Kent pair are off to Tokyo
Table tennis
Will Bayley and Ross Wilson have both had their place at the Summer Paralympic Games confirmed.
Paralympic champion Bayley, from Tunbridge Wells, and world champion Wilson from Minster are among nine players to have received news of their selection for the Games which get under way on August 24, 2021.
The nine players have been confirmed by the International Table Tennis Federation by virtue of their world ranking at the end of March 2020 or their status as regional champion.
Wilson, who claimed bronze at London 2012, tweeted: “It’s an extraordinary feeling to have qualified for Tokyo! “Words can’t describe how much I put in to this sport and how much it means to me. I’m proud of the team and look forward to representing Great Britain.” Bayley was a gold medalist in Rio 2016 and also a silver medalist at London in 2012. Selection of the nine players for the Paralympic Games still has to be confirmed by the British Paralympic Association and the full team for Tokyo will not be announced until the beginning of May 2021.
BPTT performance director Gorazd Vecko said: “The qualification criteria for Tokyo is even tougher than in previous years and to have the second highest number of players already qualified in Europe and the sixth in the world is something we should be proud of.”
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A woman who has completed a year-long challenge to sea swim every day has revealed how she also saved someone from drowning.
When Kirsty Hogben suffered a serious injury midway through last year’s London Marathon she needed a new challenge – so she decided to swim in the sea every day for a year. It proved to be a decision that brought many unexpected experiences her way. It’s a personal challenge that has seen her clock up close to 365km – averaging a kilometre a day. She’s been battered by Storm Dennis, swam when she was ill and on July 1 achieved her aim that has enabled her to stay competitive while her ankle recovers from a ligament tear. “Even if it’s only been for five or 10 minutes I have swam and I have loved it. It’s such an invigorating feeling,” she said. The South Kent Harriers athlete suffered a devastating injury during the 2019 marathon, tripping on a bottle around the halfway mark, just before Tower Bridge. She was aiming to complete the distance in sub four hours and was on course. Despite the agony she still managed to finish in a time of 4hr 5mins – painfully close to her target.
The injury stopped her running and she needed something else to focus on. Originally she had an idea of swimming every day for 100 days, starting from July 1, 2019, but extended that for a year. She hasn’t stopped yet.