Six-time World and Olympic champion David Weir heads the list of multiple medal-winning athletes as he dons the blue and white of Team GB for the first time since his triumphs at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Joining Weir in the squad is reigning European number one Jonnie Peacock, who will be hoping to add European glory to his world and Paralympic T44 100 metres titles won in 2013 and 2012 respectively.

In all, 10 world and Paralympic champions have been named to the GB and NI squad for Swansea 2014, which is set to run from August 18 to 23 at the Swansea University International Sports Village.

T42 200m star Richard Whitehead will hope to retain the European title he picked up in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands, in 2012, with the 38-year-old currently holding the golden trio of Paralympic, world and European T42 titles.

Whitehead is joined by world and Paralympic champions Aled Davies, a shot put and discus thrower, and wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, who have proved a head above the rest in 2014 after breaking a world record apiece in their respective events.

T12 sprinter Libby Clegg and F32 club thrower Stephen Miller join Whitehead as just the three GB and NI athletes hoping to retain the European titles they won two years ago in The Netherlands.

London 2012 champion Richard Whitehead is among three athletes in the GB and NI squad looking to defend their European titles won two years ago in The Netherlands ©Getty Images



Another athlete in perilous form is Stef Reid, with the 29-year-old set to head to the south of Wales in the form of her life after jumping a world record distance of 5.47m in the T44 long jump at the Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix earlier this month.

Sticking to the field events, Paralympic and world F51 discus champion and world record holder Josie Pearson is among another big contingent of Welsh-based athletes in the team, which also includes world F46 javelin champion Hollie Arnold, who has added nearly three metres to her personal best in 2014.

Paralympic 100m T53 gold medallist Mickey Bushell will lead the line in the 100m and 200m, with GB & NI team mate and world champion Paul Blake going for glory in the 100m and 400m T36.

Commenting on the announcement, Para-athletics head coach Paula Dunn, who will lead the GB and NI athletes at Swansea 2014, said: "The IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea is vitally important in the development of the team over the course of the next few years.

"There are a number of familiar faces once again in the team, but also what is encouraging is the emerging talent breaking into the ranks, which puts us in a really strong position moving forwards.

"It's another home Championships for the team and it will be great to get the support of not only the local Welsh community, but also the rest of the British public coming from further afield.

"We saw how much a home crowd spurred on the athletes in London, and it would be great to give the team another rapturous welcome in south Wales."

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