Chippington and Wiggs selected for European Championships and World Cup

Paralympic champions Jeanette Chippington and Emma Wiggs will take their places at the head of the British squad for two of the premier events of the paracanoe year.

Swimmer turned canoeist Chippington secured her first gold in her new sport at Rio 2016 – 20 years since taking her place atop the Paralympic podium in the pool.

And the five-time world champion is back for another dose of action, set to compete in this summer’s World Cup and European Championships after a successful selection campaign across the past weekend.

A grand slam champion, KL1 racer Chippington is not the only Rio gold medallist who will take to the start line with Wiggs set to go in the KL2 discipline while the pair will team up the VL2 category.

Wiggs is another who switched sports en route to champion status, first taking part in sitting volleyball prior to becoming KL2 champion at her last Paralympic Games.

That adds to the six world titles the 37-year-old has already secured but her individual discipline will also see another Brit in action for the competitions in Hungary and Serbia, in June.

That’s because Charlotte Henshaw will also compete, less than two years since becoming a Paralympic medallist for the second time in the pool.

Henshaw, who represented ParalympicsGB at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, has already shown her capabilities on the international paracanoe waters, becoming European silver medallist on her debut last year.

There are also places in Europe for Rob Oliver and Jonny Young, with the two earning selection in the KL3 competition having finished in close proximity to each other in the qualification races.

Nick Beighton also gets the nod, looking to back up his Rio bronze medal in the KL2 – the first time paracanoe featured at a Paralympic Games.