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Rio 2016 Paralympics: Hannah Cockroft looks to new generation

Last updated on .From the section Disability Sportcomments35

Hannah Cockroft
Cockroft won the T34 100m and 200m at London 2012

Double Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft says a new generation of stars inspired by the success of London 2012 can propel Britain to more glory at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Cockroft, 23, lost just once in 2015 - in a 400m race in September.

"The girl who beat me - Kare Adenegan - was 14," said Cockroft. "She watched London 2012 and that's what got her into wheelchair racing.

"There is so much talent coming through."

Speaking about her own sport, the wheelchair athlete added: "There are 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds blasting world records. The youngsters are going to make us very dominant."

Despite Cockroft's optimism, Britain's Paralympic boss says it will be "astonishing" if the country can beat its 2012 tally of 120 medals - 34 of which were gold - this year.

Britain's medal tally at past Paralympics

Tim Hollingsworth also says extra funding will be key to helping maintain Britain's place in the world's top three, after finishing behind China and Russia in London.

"We want our athletes to be on the start line in the best possible shape," said the British Paralympic Association's chief executive.

"We are very ambitious, as are the athletes themselves, but we know it's going to be tough. To beat the haul of 120 medals in London will be astonishing."

Hollingsworth is hoping a new campaign - Supercharge ParalympicsGB - will help encourage the public to generate the funds to ensure Britain is the "best prepared team" in Rio.

"We have incredible support from the National Lottery and UK Sport, but the final part of the jigsaw requires as much funding as possible to ensure the team are ready for success," he said.

"We believe we can do more with more. What London showed us was that the public were fantastically proud of the Paralympics and our Paralympic athletes."

Cockroft, who won the T34 100m and 200m in London, admits the 2016 Games will be a daunting experience as she looks to add to her medal haul.

"I'm a bit terrified about it," she told BBC Sport.

"There were no expectations on me in 2012. I was 20, competing at a home Games. People were just happy you were there competing.

"Now there will more pressure on me, so much more."

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35 comments

  • Comment posted by foscari, at 09:37 7 Jan 2016

    I am very pleased that all the competitors in the Paralympics enjoy it so much.

  • Comment posted by U7481184, at 10:53 7 Jan 2016

    And if you are not what they call an elite sportsperson, and you are losing your sight, you are more than likely finding it difficult to keep doing the work you've been doing for the last twenty years, and make any money doing it, you would like to be yourself again.

  • Comment posted by Old McDonnell Taxed My Farm, at 13:23 7 Jan 2016

    You look at these athletes who have attained the very peak of their physical ability, despite the setbacks that naure or fate has dealt them, and then you look at some fat slob stuffing their face outside of a pie shop and wonder who deserves the fully functioning body more.

    Good luck to TeamGB...!

  • Comment posted by D62, at 14:31 7 Jan 2016

    As a disabled person I feel compelled to comment.

    The pc posturing of the BBC on disabled issues is deeply at odds with it's role as a cornerstone of a political system currently attacking those with disabilities.

    Participation aside, disabled people I know find disabled sport a second rate spectator experience and resent the BBC's phoney display of enlightenment regarding disabled affairs.

  • Comment posted by More Like It, at 11:44 7 Jan 2016

    @2
    hope you're not a football fan saying that. Cheating considered 'part of the game' on the pitch, coached cheating in training & extremely lax drug testing in that sport...

  • Comment posted by original-koppite, at 18:19 7 Jan 2016

    @16We are uncomfortable because most people watch elite sport and wish we could compete at that level but no-one in there right mind wants to lose their legs in order to win a medal. No-one sympathises with the unfortunate more than me but the entire thing is a dichotomy like comparing apples with pears and to think the whole thing is classed as entertainment is obscene.

  • Comment posted by U15618491, at 14:58 7 Jan 2016

    Gook luck to all Disabled people in sport , I'm very happy for them .

    I don't live in Britain , looking at ( some )of these comments makes me even more happy I left 30yrs ago

  • Comment posted by U14327786, at 12:18 7 Jan 2016

    Surely there are much better ways to help the disabled than constantly raising funding for these non-competitions? What about funding research, medicine and helping the other people with disabilities (ie the vast majority)?

  • Comment posted by BigShow, at 10:50 7 Jan 2016

    Great, but I don't really care.

  • Comment posted by U15618491, at 06:28 8 Jan 2016

    @30

    "I don't live in Britain , looking at ( some )of these comments makes me even more happy I left 30yrs ago"

    Why on Earth would BBC article comments make you leave a country you absolutely clueless jellyfish? 

    We're glad you're gone, enjoy your inferior new country.

    Did I say it was BBC comments ?
    Try and keep up will you , or can you .
    And stop calling people names 😂

  • Comment posted by asoc, at 22:09 7 Jan 2016

    Anything that encourages people to work hard to achieve their dreams and improve their lives is a good thing but elite disabled sport epitomised by the Paralympics suffers from 2 problems: 1. Funding is disproportionately important to success, 2. There is, despite much hard work, a margin in physical abilities between those competitors within categories that has too much impact on results.

  • Comment posted by overthehill, at 16:50 7 Jan 2016

    Its great that GB para athletes are able to compete and are successful - however its not exactly a level playing field (excuse pun) A para athlete in developed coutries have accesss to space age legs, wheels you name it and good luck to them. Disabled in some countries dont have access to clean water let alone legs.
    Not a great suprise that some countries dominate medals.

  • Comment posted by hainba, at 13:22 7 Jan 2016

    Everybody deserves to have role models and heroes to inspire - Paralympic athletes are about more than the funding. May they continue to compete, succeed and inspire others.

  • Comment posted by Sideburns, at 10:41 7 Jan 2016

    Shows what can happen when backed financial

    Odd no loud complaining about unfair that richer countries do soooooooooooooo much better in Paralympics.

    Golds bought by gold.

    Remember when Athletics were shamateur, Seb does ???

  • Comment posted by MarktheHorn, at 06:29 8 Jan 2016

    MinardiCosworth - They probably meant the ones dismissing the achievements of the disable or even worse poking fun at them..

    He means there is a shame there are still such sterotypes.

  • Comment posted by Senator McCarthy, at 23:07 7 Jan 2016

    Some valid comments on here about how funding for disability sport should be spent, my head agrees with many of them but my heart asks why should being disabled mean you don't get the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage? Sport is about heart more than anything for me so good luck to the para Olympians they excel and deserve the right as much as anyone.

  • Comment posted by MarktheHorn, at 15:25 7 Jan 2016

    Good luck to al these folks who have overcome adversity to produce sporting success.

    Bet they don't moan about having to train or play 2 days a week like the footballers do!

  • Comment posted by Nigel Jones, at 08:34 8 Jan 2016

    I was in the Olympic stadium to see Hannah Cockroft win the T34 100m. It was a most memorable and enjoyable evening.

    Good luck to Hannah and Team GB in Rio.

  • Comment posted by MinardiCosworth, at 21:53 7 Jan 2016

    "I don't live in Britain , looking at ( some )of these comments makes me even more happy I left 30yrs ago"

    Why on Earth would BBC article comments make you leave a country you absolutely clueless jellyfish?

    We're glad you're gone, enjoy your inferior new country.

  • Comment posted by phirepower, at 19:06 7 Jan 2016

    I’ve got absolutely no interest in seeing who’s the fastest person with one leg or best at playing partially sighted football (this is not elite sport). If we as a nation are going to fund disabled sport (which I think we should) the funding should be targeted at everyone who is disabled, rather than funding a few professional athletes. There is no value in putting this non elite sport on TV.

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