With the 2024 Paris Olympics having been and gone, there’s one thing we’re still looking forward to: the Paralympics. Taking place also in Paris, this will be the first time France has ever hosted a summer Paralympic Games, and between August 28 and September 8, we can all get stuck into 22 sports and 549 events. Of course, there is plenty of home talent to look out for, as there was at the Olympics, so here’s our guide to the Greater Manchester athletes to look out for at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Dame Sarah Storey
Sport: Para-cycling
From: Poynton
Dame Sarah Storey‘s 17 Paralympic gold medals make her the most successful British Paralympian of all time. Sarah won three gold medals at Tokyo 2020 to achieve the record breaking milestone winning the Women’s pursuit C5, Women’s road race C4-C5 and the Women’s road time trial C5. The Paris 2024 Paralympics will be her ninth games, and as one of the most recognisable athletes out there, she’ll no doubt absolutely smash it for Greater Manchester.
Matt Rotherham
Sport: Para-cycling
From: Bolton
Bolton-born Matt Rotherham has become a fixture of the Great Britain para-cycling programme, piloting James Ball and Neil Fachie to a host of world titles, to which he added a Paralympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Riding with Neil Fachie in the B 1000m time trial the pair smashed the world record to claim secure their place on top of the podium.
Jaco van Gass
Sport: Para-cycling
From: South Africa (trains in Sale)
South African-born Jaco van Gass came to Britain at the age of 20, to pursue his ambition of joining the British Armed Forces. After completing his training, he joined the Parachute Regiment, and was deployed to Afghanistan. It was during his second tour of the country that he sustained life-changing injuries, losing his left arm below the elbow after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Following his injury, Jaco van Gass has undertaken a number of incredible physical challenges, and made his international para-cycling debut in 2013. Jaco competed in a total of five events at the velodrome and on the road circuit at Tokyo 2020, winning gold in the mixed 750m team sprint along with Kadeena Cox and Jody Cundy, gold in the Men’s pursuit C3 and bronze in the 1000m time trial C1-C3. We’re classing him as an adopted Manc, and with his talent, we wouldn’t want to give him up!
Ben Watson
Sport: Para-cycling
From: Glossop
Although technically from Derbyshire, we’re claiming Ben Watson as one of our own, being such a talented Paralympian. Just five years since he began cycling after being inspired by the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Ben won two gold medals at Tokyo 2020 in the Time Trial C3 and the Road Race C1-C3. Time trial specialist Watson had already earned himself medals at three consecutive UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, and we can’t wait to see what he does in Paris.
Chris Latham
Sport: Para-cycling
From: Bolton
Another Bolton boy, Chris Latham was a professional rider for seven years gaining experience on both the road and track before joining the Para-cycling team as pilot to Steve Bate. The duo were crowned world champions in 2022 with a gold medal in the men’s B tandem pursuit on the same Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome where they will compete at Paris 2024. Ben also enjoys including his dog, Alan, in his adventures, so look out for him on the small screen.
Archie Atkinson
Sport: Para-cycling
From: Heaton Moor
The youngest member of the Great British para-cycling podium programme, Cheshire’s Archie Atkinson has made waves in his early forays into competitive cycling. Coming through the University of Manchester’s Performance Sport team, Archie’s very first experience of riding on a track came at ten years old, under the tutelage of multiple world and Olympic champion, Sir Chris Hoy.
The experience inspired him but the idea of competing on two wheels did not feature in his future until a chance encounter with double Paralympic gold medallist Ben Watson while out on a ride with his Dad in 2021. Atkinson has cerebral palsy, a number of neurological conditions and is autistic. Through subsequent conversations with Watson, Atkinson realised he could be eligible for para-cycling, and he was accepted onto the British Cycling Foundation Pathway following two days of power tests. Just under one year later, Atkinson was promoted to the world class performance programme. We’ll most definitely be cheering for him in the coming weeks.
Laurie Williams
Sport: Wheelchair basketball
From: Altrincham
Laurie Williams started wheelchair basketball in 2005 after being spotted at a wheelchair racing event. The Manchester native then went on to represent the North West at junior regional championships where she was asked to train with the GB set up as a promising young talent. Known for her speed on the court, it wouldn’t be long before she made her senior debut in 2009 en route to a Paralympic debut at London 2012, becoming a mainstay of the squad ever since.
Gregg Warburton
Sport: Wheelchair basketball
From: Leigh
Adding to the list of Greater Manchester athletes in the Paralympics is Gregg Warburton, who is one of the standout players in the world and has consistently been named in all-star five line-ups at various international tournaments including the last two World Championships (2018 and 2023). In 2012, he was one of eight juniors that carried the IPC flag at the Paralympics opening ceremony before making his own debut in 2016. He has since helped Paralympics GB win back-to-back bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo.
Good luck to all of our Team GB Paralympians!