Special Olympics Wales representatives excel at Special Olympics World Games
The Welsh Sports Association (WSA) would like to offer a huge congratulations to representatives of member organisation Special Olympics Wales, and their Special Olympics GB colleagues, who performed outstandingly at the Special Olympics World Games last month.
The 82-strong delegation representing Great Britain left Berlin having amassed a large number of medals, with six Welsh athletes contributing heavily to the success.
John Haynes got himself a new personal best in the 4x100m relay, while Josh Longbottom also set himself new records in the Shot Putt and 100m, earning Bronze in the former.
Llinos Jones earned a Silver in the Singles Bocce, also winning Silver in the Team event alongside Michael Beynon.
The Welsh contingent in Berlin also saw brilliant success in Badminton, as Ethan Orton brought home Gold in the Men’s Singles and Silver in the Mixed Doubles.
Powerlifting was a huge success for Special Olympics GB, with 18-year-old Bleddyn Gibbs – based out of Strength Academy Wales in Pembrokeshire – taking home a whopping four Gold medals!
CEO of Special Olympics Great Britain, Colin Dyer commented:
“This is a remarkable achievement from these exceptional athletes.
“Each one of our competitors has defied all odds to partake in these games and to come away with a medal caps a monumental accomplishment. They have undoubtedly brought immense pride to themselves, their family and their nation.”
The WSA would like to offer everyone who competed so brilliantly a massive congratulations!
A huge congratulations must also go to everyone who made such a wonderful sporting event – the world’s biggest inclusion sporting event of 2023 – possible.
Running from the 17th to the 25th of June, the Special Olympics World Games saw 7,000 athletes from 190 delegations compete across 26 summer sports; 20,000 volunteers were on hand to make that happen!
