Four athletes from Northampton Swimming Club set to compete at Paris Paralympics 2024
Maisie Summers-Newton, Bruce Dee, Eliza Humphrey and Scarlett Humphrey have been selected to represent Team GB.
Northampton Swimming Club is set to see four of their athletes competing at the Paris Paralympics 2024, as the games get underway next Wednesday 28th August.
Maisie Summers-Newton, Bruce Dee, Eliza Humphrey and Scarlett Humphrey all train at the local swimming club and will be part of the 215-strong Great Britain team.
Out of the four swimmers, Eliza and Scarlett Humphrey are twin sisters from Northampton who are blind from birth and will be competing together at the Olympics.
Andy Sharp is Director of Swimming and Head coach at Northampton Swimming Club.
He said: “There’s always that sibling rivalry, but in a good way. Each athlete is ultra-competitive and try to bring the best out of each other during their training sessions and competitions and it’s a unique situation.”
Maisie Summers Newton won 2 Gold Medals at Tokyo in 2021 and will be competing at her second Games.
Her teammates Bruce Dee, Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey will be making their debuts having impressed at the trials in London last month.
Andy said: “There’s no additional pressure.
“Everyone’s going to have a lane, it’s a swimming pool at the end of the day. Yes it’s going to be louder and more exciting but it’s just going to be another swim meet and we don’t put the pressure on”
“It’s really important they go and enjoy themselves. Experience the Paralympic village, the venues and experience the loud crowds who will be cheering for all the different athletes.
“It’s all about going there and having fun. As with anything, the more you enjoy it the better it is”.
The Paris Paralympics will be held between August 28 and September 8 with females making up 46 per cent of the British team, which is a record number of female representation.
Many of the Olympic venues - including Roland Garros, the Château de Versailles gardens, the Stade de France - are once again hosting events, including the Paris La Défense Arena where the swimming competitions will take place.
This Saturday the official Paralympic flame lighting ceremony will take at the home of the Paralympics, in Stoke Mandeville before the torch heads to mark the start of the Paris Paralympics 2024.