Taylor joins Tokyo team
Paratriathlete Michael Taylor has become one of the latest sportspeople based at the University of Bath to be selected for Tokyo 2020 after being named in the Paralympicsgb squad.
It will be a Paralympic Games debut for the Bristol medical student, who has been training with the British Triathlon Bath National Performance Centre squad at the Team Bath Sports Training Village for the past year.
“It’s a pretty incredible feeling to be going to my first Paralympic Games,” he said. “Four years ago I remember thinking that was something I could aim for but I wasn’t actually sure if it would ever happen. I’ve had so much support and I feel like it’s been a real team effort from loads of different people and load of different organisations. It’s a great sport and I’m glad I got involved with it when I did.”
Inspired to get into the sport after watching it on television when paratriathlon made its Paralympics debut at Rio 2016, Taylor, originally from Barnstaple in Devon, has made fantastic progress and sealed his Tokyo place after winning three medals – one gold and two silver – on the World Triathlon Para Series circuit this year.
Taylor, a lower-leg amputee who competes in the PTS4 category, moved his training base to Bath after beginning a medical degree at the University of Bristol last year. He is coached by Rhys Davey, who is also coach to Rio bronze-medallist Vicky Holland who will be representing Team GB at a third Olympic Games in Tokyo later this month.
Five University-based sportspeople have now been officially selected for the Paralympic Games, with Taylor joining 10-time swimming medallist Stephanie Millward and wheelchair fencers Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gilliver and Oliver Lam-watson on the plane to Tokyo.