Double Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft to compete at 2015 Sainsbury's School Games

Double Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft will compete at the 2015 Sainsbury's School Games ©Youth Sports Trust

British double Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft will compete at the upcoming Sainsbury’s School Games in Manchester on September 3, it has been announced.

Cockroft, the current Paralympic, world and European title holder in the T34 category 100 metres, will use the event as part of her preparations for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Doha, due to take place from October 22 to 31.

The School Games gave the 23-year-old, also the Paralympic T34 200m champion, her first taste of a major sporting competition as she competed in the seated discus event in 2007 in Bath.

Cockroft struck gold at the 2011 School Games in the 100m, which gave her the platform for her successes on home soil at London 2012 and the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon the following year.

She will participate non-competitively in the mixed sex 100m and 800m races at the 2015 Games and although she will be unable to add a medal to her ever-growing tally, Cockroft says she cannot wait to return to a competition that harbours many great memories for her.

Hannah Cockroft won the T34 sprint double on home soil at the London 2012 Paralympic Games ©Getty Images

“I am so excited to be lining up in Manchester to get some vital competition practice at the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games,” she said.

“With just over a month to the IPC World Athletics Championships and a year until the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, it will form an important part of my preparations.

“Having won the 100m event in 2011, I am looking forward to taking on the young talent competing at this year’s Sainsbury’s School Games and I would like to thank the organisers for allowing me to take part.”

The 2015 Sainsbury’s School Games, held in conjunction with Youth Sport Trust with funding from the National Lottery and Sport England, will feature 1,600 athletes who will compete in 12 sports at various different venues in Manchester.

It will include four days of sporting competition as well as an Opening and Closing Ceremony, with 15,000 spectators expected to be in attendance over the course of the event.

Cockroft will compete on the first day of the 2015 School Games, which take place until September 6.