1 May 2026
April wrapped: Catch up on the latest from ParalympicsGB
Marathon success for Brits at home and abroad
Wheelchair racer Eden Rainbow-Cooper (pictured above) claimed her second Boston marathon win on 20 April clocking the second-fastest course time ever in the women’s wheelchair division.
The 24-year-old crossed the line in 1:30.51, more than two minutes clear of a stellar field which included Swiss Paralympic marathon T54 champion Catherine Debrunner, US racer Tatyana McFadden and course record-holder and four-time winner Manuela Schär from Switzerland.
Rainbow-Cooper, who won at Boston for the first time two years ago, took an early lead and was ahead of the pack after just 5km - a position she maintained for the rest of the 26.2 mile race.
David Weir makes it London Marathon podium no.22
Six days later at the London Marathon it was eight-time champion David Weir’s turn on the podium, the 46-year-old clocking 1:29:23 to finish in third place - his 22nd podium finish on his 27th consecutive London Marathon. The race was won by Swiss Paralympic champion Marcel Hug who draws level with Weir with eight wins at the event. Sadly Rainbow-Cooper’s hopes of further success were hampered after problems with her tyre caused her to miss the start.
Whitehead betters World Record once again (credit: London Marathon)
Richard Whitehead bettered his own marathon world record for athletes with bilateral knee amputations on the London course – his sixth marathon of the year so far. The 49-year-old set a new mark of 2:40:25 – improving on the time he set just two weeks earlier at the Milano Marathon.
Records fall for Para swimmers at British Championships
Paralympic champion Will Ellard set a new men’s S14 100m freestyle world record on his way to claiming the national title at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London.
The 20-year-old, who won S14 200m freestyle gold as well as mixed S14 4x100m relay gold at Paris 2024, knocked nearly 0.5 seconds off the mark previously held by Brazilian Arthur Xavier Ribeiro.
Poppy Maskill was ParalympicsGB’s most successful athlete at Paris 2024, claiming three golds and two silver medals on her Games debut. Proving she’s still the one to beat, the 21-year-old broke the S14 100m butterfly world record with a time of 1:01.52, while teenager Mark Tompsett – a bronze medallist in Paris - took almost two seconds off the S14 200m backstroke world record, swimming 2:08.21 in the heats. Bruce Dee meanwhile smashed the S6 50m freestyle British record which had stood for 18 years, finishing in a time of 31.83.
Smashed: A new 50m Freestyle British record for Bruce Dee
Wheelchair tennis’s Alfie Hewett sees off world number one to claim title in Japan
Alfie Hewett secured one of the biggest victories of his career outside Grand Slam competition when he beat home favourite and world No.1 Tokito Oda of Japan 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to become the Japan Open men’s singles champion for the first time.
The victory added to Hewett’s success having earlier won the men’s doubles title alongside fellow Paralympic doubles gold medallist Gordon Reid.
Alfie Hewett tops Oda in Japan
Paralympic table tennis star takes on national coaching role
Former World and Commonwealth champion Ross Wilson, who called time on his playing career last November due to injury, has taken on a new role with the British Para Table Tennis Team as National Coach working full-time with the squad at the UK Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
The 30-year-old, who won Paralympic team medals at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, joins the coaching staff at a key period for the British Para Table Tennis Team as athletes look to secure qualification for the ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships in Thailand in November, with a number of key competitions taking place throughout May.
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