IPC athletics coming to Wales

As if Welsh sport needed more good news after this, this, this and this, the International Paralympic Committee this week announced the 2014 Athletics European Championships would be coming to Wales.

Ahh… Been itching about this! Swansea win the bid for the IPC Europeans next year! A big comp on welsh soil! #buzzin

— Aled Davies MBE (@AledDavies2012) March 22, 2013

From the Olympic Stadium to Swansea University…

The championships will be held at Swansea University, which is quite a coup for them – especially if the national media embraces the six-day event with a London 2012-inspired zeal.

Among those who could be competing in Wales will be ParalympicsGB stars David Weir, Richard Whitehead and Welshman Aled Davies as well as the world’s fastest Paralympian, Jason Smyth from Ireland.

I believe Swansea, Wales is to host next years @paralympic European Champs. Bring it on! Should be a great championships.

— Jason Smyth (@smyth_jason) March 21, 2013

And because I’ll use any excuse to put a video of it here, let’s have another look at Richard Whitehead’s outrageous gold medal at London 2012:

Farewell to a legend as Esther Vergeer retires

Has there ever been a better sportsperson than Esther Vergeer? The Dutch wheelchair tennis player, who is unbeaten in 470 matches dating back to January 2013, today announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 31.

I first came across Vergeer while I was covering the Paralympics in the summer. At London 2012, she won her fourth consecutive gold medal in the singles, winning all six matches in straight sets and allowing her opponents to win just seven games between them all tournament.

She has won an incredible 21 major singles titles since her first such success at the 2004 Australian Open. Wheelchair tennis only has three annual major tournaments: Wimbledon has doubles events but not singles (in any case, she won three ladies’ doubles events at SW12 between 2009 and 2011).

Her career record was 687 wins from 712 matches, a winning record of more than 96 per cent.

Vergeer has also been number one in the world for what is surely an unprecedented (in any sport) 14 consecutive years.

And she seems pretty cool as well:

“I think as an athlete it’s probably one of the best compliments you can get, if somebody gets inspired by you to go and play sports, or to get a better life or to change their lives. And so I feel proud that I’m in that position.”

UPDATE: Jahangir Khan, of Pakistan, won 555 consecutive squash games in the 1980s. Which leads nicely into a forthcoming post…

London 2012: Jade Jones and Aled Davies among the Welsh stars to be honoured

London 2012 gold medallists Jade Jones and Mark Colbourne will be among more than 40 Welsh stars parading on the steps of the Senedd this weekend.

The Welsh government is also encouraging Games Makers who took part in either the Olympic or Paralympic Games to wear their uniforms to the event on Friday evening.

Jones, from Flint, won Great Britain’s first ever Olympic gold in taekwondo, while Paralympic cyclist Colbourne, from Tredegar, picked up three medals, including gold in the C1 individual pursuit.

Other medallists who will be met by First Minister Carwyn Jones and Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler include Tom James (rowing, gold), Fred Evans (boxing, silver) and Aled Davies, who set off on a memorable lap of honour after winning gold in the F42 discus.

Josie Pearson, who broke the world record three times to win the F51/52/53 discus – Great Britain’s 10th and final Paralympic athletics gold – is also set to attend.

The evening is set to begin at 4.30pm with performers from Wales’s cultural Olympiad, including 19-year-old clarinet player Lloyd Coleman, Abergavenny Borough Brass Band and Ebbw Vale Male Choir, entertaining the crowds.

The public will be able to show their appreciation to the athletes from about 6pm.

You can follow the events on Twitter by following @WelshGovernment or watching the hashtag #2012cymruwales.

EDIT: Original mistakenly said it was being held on Saturday evening.

Disappointment for David Roberts as 11-time champion misses Paralympics

David Roberts, one of Britain’s most successful Paralympic athletes, has been ommitted from Team GB for this summer’s Games.

Since 2009 Roberts has suffered injuries and illnesses and has failed to make S7 qualifying times, missing out once again during last weekend’s British International Disability Swimming Championships.

Welshman Dave Roberts will not get the chance to add to his 11-strong Paralympic gold medal haul in the London pool this summer after being left out of the British squad by selectors. Picture: Flickr, Sum_of_Marc

And Roberts, 31, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, failed to earn the sympathy of the British selectors.