By Duncan Mackay

Britain's Danielle Brown will be unable to defend the titles she won at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 after World Archery changed its classification rulesNovember 8 - Britain's double Paralympic archery champion Danielle Brown will be unable to defend her title at Rio 2016 after a change in the sport's classification procedures.


Brown has complex regional pain syndrome - which gives her chronic pain in her feet - and she shoots while seated on a stool.

But World Archery has changed the classification rules for future events which will make the 25-year-old Yorkshirewoman ineligible. 

"World Archery, in full agreement with the International Paralympic Committee, clearly states that the Paralympic Games and World Archery Para Championships should not be for anyone who has a physical disability, but for those athletes with a disability where the disability has a direct and important impact on the archery performance," the governing body said in a statement.

"As of 1 April next year the classification rules will be changed to reflect this situation."

Danielle Brown competes while sitting on a stool but her disability is not severe enough to allow her to compete in the Paralympics, World Archery has ruledDanielle Brown competes while sitting on a stool but her disability is not severe enough to allow her to compete in the Paralympics, World Archery has ruled

Brown won compound gold at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and competed for Britain in England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi where she was a member of the team that won the team compound event.

Earlier this week, she won two silver medals at the Para-Archery World Championships in Bangkok, narrowly failing to claim her fourth individual world title in a row.

"We are extremely saddened to say that Danielle Brown has not been classified under the new criteria, which means she is no longer able to compete at Paralympic archery events on behalf of Great Britain," said Archery GB performance director Sara Symington

"We are so proud of all she has achieved as a Paralympic archer and we wish her all the best for the future.

"We will be offering Danielle our full support over the coming weeks and months."

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September 2012: Historic silver for Paralympic champion Brown at archery World Cup final
September 2012: Brown becomes first Paralympic athlete to compete in archery World Cup final
September 2012: Brown retains Paralympic archery gold with victory in all-British final
June 2012: Exclusive - Commonwealth Games experience has boosted my chances of glory at London 2012, says Danielle Brown