Paul Blake (athlete)

Paul Blake

Blake during the 2013 World Championships
Personal information
Nationality British
Born 15 January 1990
Dorchester, Dorset
Sport
Country United Kingdom
England
Sport T36 athletics
Event(s) 400m, 800m and 1500m
Club Dorchester Athletic Club
Coached by Rob Ellchuk[1]
Updated on 9 August 2012.

Paul Blake (born 15 January 1990) is a British athlete who competes in T36 middle distance events. Born in Dorchester, Dorset, Blake developed cerebral palsy after being deprived of blood in the womb.[2][3] Blake's father, also called Paul, is an actor, best known for playing the bounty hunter Greedo in Star Wars (1977), while his mother Kate is a former ballet dancer with the Royal Ballet.[3]

Blake competed for Great Britain at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships where he won a Gold in 400m and silver in 800m and 1500m. And at the 2012 IPC Athletics European Championships he won two medals (a silver and Bronze) and has been selected for the British team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics doing the 400m and 800m in T36. He also has the World Record in the T36 800m (2:08.02) and 1500m (4:34.42).[4] At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Blake won silver in the 400m T36, in a personal best time of 54.22,[5] and Bronze in the 800m T36.[6]

At the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships, Blake enjoyed a medal winning championships. He started it off with a bronze medal in the T36 100m behind his team mate, Graeme Ballard. Blake had only started competing over the 100m competitively in 2014 and won a medal in Swansea after his victory over the distance at the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games prior to the championships. Blake followed his 100m success with a silver medal in the 400m in south Wales.

References

  1. Anderson, Katy. "Paul Blake News Article". The Independent (London). Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  2. "Paul Blake". www.paralympics.org.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Davies, Gareth (29 August 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Paul Blake dreaming of two golds in his first Games". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. "Blake sets new world record". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  5. http://www.teamgb.com/news/blake-storms-silver
  6. "A brace of bronzes for Rushgrove and Blake at London 2012". Retrieved 13 October 2012.