Tokyo 2020 champion Daniel Pembroke is one of 39 athletes selected for the UK Athletics Paralympic World Class Programme ©Getty Images

Javelin thrower Daniel Pembroke and sprinter Sophie Hahn highlight seven reigning Paralympic champions nominated for membership to join the UK Athletics (UKA) Paralympic World Class Programme (WCP) for the 2022-2023 season.

In total, 39 athletes have been put forward for the initiative which aims to support the delivery of success on the world, continental, and Paralympic stage.

The programme is split into several levels reflecting the actual and potential performance levels of athletes - podium, podium potential, and confirmation.

"Athletes are nominated for the WCP to further the aim of UK Athletics to win medals at the 2024 and/or 2028 Paralympic Games," read a UK Athletics statement.

"UKA is committed to the principle that winning will always be achieved with integrity and in line with UK Sport’s ambition of 'Keep Winning and Win Well'.

"Therefore, UK Athletics must be confident that any athlete nominated for the WCP has the realistic potential and demonstrable performance capability and capacity to make the necessary progress to achieve a medal at least in one of the next two Paralympic Games."



There are six athletes that have been added at the confirmation level which is designed to support athletes in their first one to two years of inclusion in high-performance programmes, to provide a period through which the potential of the athlete is realised.

Five of these athletes have previously been supported on the Futures Academy Programme, continuing their progression along the UK Athletics Paralympic Pathway.

"The Paralympic Programme is in a strong position as we head towards Paris 2024 and LA 2028," said head of Paralympic performance at UK Athletics Tom Paulson.

"It is also good to see athletes graduating along the pathway from the Futures Academy on to the World Class Programme.

"It has been a different year for many athletes as they have not had a major Championships / Games this summer, however, they have remained focused and will be concentrating on the prospect of qualifying for the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris next July.

"We have an exciting and important period coming up for the sport, and I'm looking forward to working with the athletes and coaches to make sure they have the required support provided by the WCP to be in the best position to achieve success in Paris and/or Los Angeles."