Reigning world and Paralympic 100m and 200m champion, Hannah Cockroft, is keen to complete her medal set with gold at the IPC European Championships next week.
The 22-year-old will double-up in the two sprint events once more, with hopes of building on her ever-growing list of accolades.
“The European title is the only one I have yet to claim so, for me, it’s been a hugely important focus point in a fairly quiet season,” the Leeds City athlete spoke.
Adding: “I’d love to just be able to say that I have the full set, and although I couldn’t add Commonwealth Champion to that list this year, hopefully in years to come I will be able to retain and add to all my titles.”
Another supreme season saw Cockroft obliterate her opponents in the US Paralympic Championships and Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix and Anniversary Games, among many other impressive outings.
The IPC European Championships were withdrawn from the competition schedule between 2005 and 2012 but, now back for the second time running, the 22-year-old hopes they will provide another platform for the country’s para-athletes to shine.
“It [the championships] allows para-athletes to have another major championships in a year that otherwise would have been championship-less,” Cockroft said, “It allows more people to hear and see Paralympic sport and this year, gives us another chance to perform at a home games and hopefully some big crowds.”
The multiple world record breaker is a firm believer that London 2012 left a Paralympic legacy behind, and the Europeans are a fine example of just that.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s strong team boasts a mixture of experience and youth, with the likes of Maria Lyle – an eminent force in the T35 sprint races at just 14-year-old – kick-starting her international championship career in Swansea.
“We have such a young team, the majority fresh, new talent that has emerged since London. The only way to grow it from here is to keep people interested,” Cockroft spoke.
