The 57–year-old from Hampshire will be the most experienced member of the 2012 ParalympicsGB team, having competed at every Paralympic Games since the 1984 Stoke Mandeville games.

During that time she has broken the world record and won eight Paralympic medals in air rifle shooting, including three golds.

"I am very honoured to find out today that I have been selected for my eighth Paralympic Games," said Coates (pictured above), one of 30 athletes named today by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) to compete in the archery, shooting and women's goalball events – bringing the total number of ParalympicsGB athletes to 149.

"To compete at a Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of any athlete's career and I am so pleased to have achieved this once again.

"If anyone had told me all those years ago that I would be preparing to compete in my eighth Paralympics, I'd have laughed, but here I am and I cannot wait to get out there again.

"The Games has changed so much in the last 30 years and competing again on home soil will be very special."

Today's announcement also includes 63-year-old archer Kate Murray, who – born just a month after the original 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games – looks likely to be the oldest British competitor in London.


Murray expressed her delight at selection, saying: "I am thrilled to be taking part in the London 2012 Paralympic Games – it's my second Paralympics, and while going to Beijing four years ago was a special moment, being involved in an event like this in your home country is as good as it gets.

"It's going to be a wonderful experience, and the atmosphere will be terrific.

"What makes this extra special for me is that I was born in Woolwich, where the Paralympic archery tournament will be taking place at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

"Not only that, the competition gets underway on August the 30th – my birthday."

Britain's Chef de Mission Craig Hunter commented: "With just under 100 days to go, it is an exciting moment to be announcing another 30 members of ParalympicsGB.

"It is a reflection of all the hard work that these athletes have put in over the last four years that we are in a position to announce so many more shooters and such a large archery team for London, following such strong performances on the international stage since Beijing.

"To also be in a position to announce a women's Goalball team is fantastic.

"It really feels now as though the team is starting to take shape and I am confident that all these athletes will make Britain proud this summer."

Among the 13-strong shooting team is Beijing gold medallist Matt Skelhon (pictured above), this time around without the trademark Mohican haircut he sported in Beijing.


At Paralympic level, archery has been on the competition schedule since 1960, but the team at GB Archery and ParalympicsGB believe that the team announced today is the strongest ever to compete.

The team includes Beijing gold medallist Danielle Brown (pictured above), who is believed to be the first ever disabled athlete to win a gold medal for Team England at the Commonwealth Games in a non-disabled event, and John Cavanagh who won gold in Athens.

Brown said: "I'm delighted to have secured my place at the Paralympic Games, and am really excited to be taking part in what will be a fantastic summer of sport.

"The Paralympics is THE event to be involved with, and when it's in your own country, well, it just doesn't get any better."

"I had a bit of a wake up call at the Test event at the Royal Artillery Barracks, when I was beaten in the final and though I was disappointed with myself for losing it actually did me a favour, because it has now inspired me to work even harder to make sure that doesn't happen when the real thing takes place later in the year."

Also announced today are the five athletes comprising the women's goalball team; the first time a British goalball team returns to the Paralympic fold after a 12-year absence.

The women's team has just returned from Malmo, Sweden, where they were competing in an international tournament featuring 14 nations.

The team finished fifth, giving an outstanding opening performance against Sweden, beating them 4-0.

The result against the host nation was particularly sweet given Great Britain had been beaten 1-2 by them at the London 2012 test event back in December 2011.

The full list of athletes can be found here.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]