Special Olympics Wales have six athletes selected for GB at Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023
The Welsh Sports Association (WSA) would like to congratulate the Special Olympics Wales (SOW) athletes who have been selected to represent Great Britain at the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023 and send our support!
The WSA was delighted to hear the success of our members SOW, with six Welsh athletes heading to the Games in Berlin.
The athletes were “every success” by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford at an event at the Senedd on Monday, which WSA CEO Andrew Howard attended.
It’s brilliant to have representation from fellow WSA members Weightlifting Wales, Badminton Wales and Welsh Athletics among the Welsh contingent of the GB squad.
Bleddyn Gibbs, just 18 years of age, from Pembrokeshire will compete in power lifting.
Ethan Thomas Orton, 22, will be competing in badminton at this years’ games, but also plays basketball.
Meanwhile, Welsh Athletics will be represented by 30-year-old Swansea Harriers runner John Hayes, who will be competing in the 100m, 200m and relay events, and 28-year-old Joshua Longbottom from Brecon, who will compete in the 100m, the mixed relay and shot put.
Also among the athletes selected from SOW are 40-year-old, Carmarthenshire-based Llinos Gilmore Jones and 27-year-old Wrexham County-based Michael Beynon, both competing in bocce.
The six Welsh athletes are among 7,000 competitors at the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023, taking place in Berlin between the 17th and 25th of June.
Great Britain will be aiming to better their 14th-place finish achieved at the last Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, where they collected 55 medals in total.
The WSA is thrilled to see our members represented on the world stage and wish the Welsh athletes heading to Berlin, along with the rest of their GB colleagues, the best of luck this month!
