Highlighted as one of the most anticipated track events of the championships, two-time T44 100m Paralympic champion and 2013 world champion Peacock offered an insight into his excitement ahead of the championships beginning, saying:
“2012 was huge for me in that stadium, but coming back here five years later with the aim of winning a world title is even more exciting. “The nerves really hit me when I walked into the stadium today. We have been to a holding camp where we have been in the shadows preparing for the championships but now we have come here, it has become real.”
Commenting on the importance of the home crowd getting behind the British team, he added:
“This is our stadium – the British athletics team feel at home here. The crowd will get behind us and the atmosphere will be phenomenal. We just want to put on a show out there for all the fans and showcase the sport once again.”
Competing at what will be his sixth World Para Athletics Championship, joint-team captain Dan Greaves spoke on how his preparations have gone at this afternoon’s press conference at the London Stadium.
“It’s great to be here; to see the set-up come to life is really exciting and I can’t wait to get out there. I had a really good training session yesterday – that was my final throws session before I compete this Sunday – so things are looking really good,” said Greaves.
“We’ve already seen record breaking sales for the championships, and I believe the public will continue that habit and really get behind us for a phenomenal championships.”
On his targets for the championships, the three-time world champion added: “I’ll go into the circle believing in the work myself and John [Godina, coach] have done and worked on all year. We know that I’m in 60m shape and that’s what it will take to win a medal – with the atmosphere and adrenaline there’s no reason why I can’t throw further.”
The championships gets underway tomorrow evening, with Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood) and Abbie Hunnisett (Anthony Hughes / Mark Hunnisett) the first British athletes to take to the field of play in the F32 club throw.
Reigning Paralympic champion Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat/Shona Malcolm) competes Friday evening in the women’s F51 Club final along with the ever-improving Kylie Grimes (Phil Peat)
Britain’s track event athletes will be led off on Friday by Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell) in the heats of the T12 100m before Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks), already a five-times Paralympic gold winner and seven times world title-holder, is one of a trio of British athletes including Kare Adenegan (Job King) and Carly Tait (Banks) contesting the women’s 100m T34.
Hollie Arnold (David Parker), Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine), Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell) and Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) are all Rio 2016 Paralympic Champions to watch out for in Saturday’s evening session, with Paralympic T44 long jump silver medallist Stef Reid (Aston Moore) going during the morning session.
The full British Athletics team for the World Para Athletics Championships can be found here. Britain has a team 50-strong team for the Championships, including 22 women and 28 men. At the last World Championships in 2015, in Doha, the British team were fourth on the overall medal table with 31 medals of which 13 were gold.
Playlist of races from Anniversary Games Post race interviews
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