Bethy Woodward

Last updated

Bethy Woodward
Personal information
Full nameBethany Woodward
NationalityBritish
Born (1992-12-26) 26 December 1992 (age 31)
Ringwood, England
Sport
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
Flag of England.svg England
SportAthletics
Event(s)100m T37
200m T37
400m T37
ClubSouthampton AC
Coached by Lee Doran
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100m 14.85
200m 29.89
400m 69.21
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
2012 London
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2012 London 200 metres (T37)
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2012 London 4 × 100 metres relay
European Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Swansea 100m – T35–38
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Swansea 400m – T37
Representing Flag of England.svg England
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Glasgow long jump T37/38

Bethany "Bethy" Woodward (born 26 December 1992) is a former British Paralympic athlete who competed in sprint events in T37 events. She competed at the highest level of her sport, representing England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Great Britain in the IPC Athletic World Championships and the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Contents

Woodward ceased to compete in competitive events in 2015, claiming that more able-bodied athletes were being brought into her classification. [1] In 2017, she handed back one of her silver medals, stating that the inclusion of one of her teammates was "giving us an unfair advantage" [2]

She was conferred as an Honorary Senior Fellow of Regent's University London on 9 July 2015. [3]

Early life

Woodward was born in Ringwood, England in 1992. Woodward, who has cerebral palsy became interested in athletics after competing in a school sports day at the age of eleven. [4] After joining an athletics club she entered athletic meets competing in sprint events. She entered the School Games in 2007 and in 2009 she recorded a personal best in the 100m of 15.78s at the German Disability Championships in Sindelfingen. [5] In 2010, she improved on both her 100m and 200m times, recording 15.10 in the 100m at the Tunis Open, while in the 200m she ran 31.31 at the same event. [5] Woodward also began running competitively in the 400m in 2010, posting a time of 1:13.8 at the Perivale Sports Grand Prix. [5] Woodward first represented England in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, coming 6th in the T37 100m. [4]

In 2011, Woodward was selected for the Great Britain team to compete in the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, entering the T37 200m and 400m races. Although she did not win a medal in the 200m, she recorded a personal best of 69.21 in the 400m final taking the gold medal. [5] In 2012, she recorded personal bests in both the 100m and 200m sprints, and qualified for the Great Britain team for the 2012 Summer Paralympics. [5]

On 5 September 2012, she won a silver medal in the 200m T37 at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. [6]

2013

Woodward won silver in the 200m at the IPC World Championships in Lyon after finishing fourth in the 100m.

2014

Woodward switched to long jump to compete for England at the Commonwealth Games and won silver with a new personal best of 4.00m.

After the injury, Woodward withdrew from the 100m at the IPC European Championships, but came back to win bronze in the 400m.[ citation needed ]

Classification controversy

Following the conclusion of the Rio 2016 Olympiad, UK Athletics launched an enquiry into the classification of its paralympic athletes. After this investigation was announced, Woodward – who had ceased to compete competitively in 2015 – released a public statement acknowledging that her decision to retire was based on her view that paralympic competition was unfair due to widespread misclassification of athletes. She said "I represented my country for a long time but if I can't compete like I used to compete, because they've brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability, what's the point?" [1] This was part of a wider backdrop of controversy surrounding the classification of paralympic athletes; for example, Helmut Hoffman – the German team doctor at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Doha – said "I don't want to say it was corrupt, but it was unfair". [7]

Woodward went further in 2017, when she handed back one of her silver medals, stating that the inclusion of one of her teammates was "giving us an unfair advantage". [2]

Personal life

Woodward was coached by long-term boyfriend and four-time British javelin champion Lee Doran. [8] In March 2017, the couple had their first child [9]

Related Research Articles

Stephen Payton is a Paralympian athlete from Great Britain competing mainly in category T38 sprint events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Breen</span> Welsh Paralympic athlete

Olivia Breen is a Welsh Paralympian athlete, who competes for Wales and Great Britain mainly in T38 sprint and F38 long jump events. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics and was selected for the T38 100m and 200m sprint and was also part of the T35-38 women's relay team. She has also represented Wales at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games winning gold in the F38 Long Jump in 2018 and gold in the T37/38 100m in 2022.

Jenny McLoughlin is a British Paralympian track and field athlete competing mainly in T37 sprint events. She has represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Paralympics and in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. After moving to Wales at the age of 14, she became eligible to join the Wales team for the Commonwealth Games, winning silver in the T37 sprint in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johanna Benson</span> Namibian Paralympic athlete (born 1990)

Johanna Benson is a Paralympian athlete from Walvis Bay, Namibia. She competes in T37 long jump and sprint events and at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London she won the women's 200 metres race in her classification. Her 200 metres success in London made her the first Paralympic gold medalist in Namibia's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 IPC Athletics World Championships</span> Paralympic track and field event

The 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships was the biggest track and field competition for athletes with a disability since the 2012 Summer Paralympics. It was held in Lyon, France, and lasted from 20 to 28 July. Around 1,100 athletes competed, from 94 different countries. The event was held in the Stade du Rhône located at the Parc de Parilly in Vénissieux, in Lyon Metropolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Hahn</span> English Paralympic athlete

Sophie Megan Hahn, is a parasport athlete from England competing mainly in T38 sprint events. In 2013, she qualified for the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, selected for the T38 100m and 200m. She took the gold in the 100m sprint, setting a new world record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy François-Elie</span> French Paralympic athlete (born 1989)

Mandy François-Élie is a French Paralympian athlete competing in the category T37. François-Élie won the T37 100m sprint at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games at London and followed this with both the 100m and 200m titles at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Lakatos</span> Canadian wheelchair racer

Brent Lakatos is a Canadian wheelchair racer in the T53 classification. Lakatos has represented Canada at three Summer Paralympics, and at the 2012 Games he won three silver medals in the sprint and mid-distance events. In 2013 Lakatos reached the pinnacle of his sport when he collected four gold medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships and became world champion at his classification in the 100m, 200m and 400m events.

Georgina Oliver is a parasport track and field athlete from England competing in T54 sprint events. In 2013, she qualified for the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, selected for the T54 100 m and 200 m, taking bronze in the former. Oliver has spina bifida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Pardy</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Ella Azura Pardy is an Australian Paralympic athlete who competes in the T38 100m, 200m and long jump. She represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in long jump and the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in athletics where she won a bronze medal and the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She has been selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics - her third Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svetlana Sergeeva</span> Russian Paralympic athlete

Svetlana Sergeeva in Kargopol, Arkhangelsk Oblast is a Paralympian athlete from Russia, competing mainly in category T37 throwing and sprint events. She competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China and the 2012 Games in London. At the London Games she won a track gold as part of the sprint relay and has also achieved success as an individual athlete at both World and European events.

Andrey Vdovin is a Russian parasport athlete competing mainly in category T37 sprint and middle-distance events. A triple gold medal winner at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, Vdovin also set three world records in his class between 2013 and 2014.

Maria Lyle is a retired para-athlete from Scotland who competed mainly in T35 sprint events. At the age of 14 she set a world record in the 200m sprint, a record she has broken on several occasions. In 2014, she qualified for the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea and won gold in both the 100m and 200m T35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadeena Cox</span> British paralympic athlete (born 1991)

Kadeena Cox is a parasport athlete competing in T38 para-athletics sprint events and C4 para-cycling and British television presenter. She was part of the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships and the 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, in which she won world titles in the T37 100m and C4 500m time trial respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgina Hermitage</span> British Paralympic athlete

Georgina Hermitage, is a British former parasport athlete competing in T37 sprint events. In 2015, she qualified for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, selected for the T37 100m and 200m. She took the gold in the 400m sprint, setting a new world record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namibia at the 2016 Summer Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Namibia competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.

Omar Monterola is a Paralympian athlete from Venezuela competing in category T37 sprinting events. Monterola qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints. He qualified for the finals of all three, winning the bronze medal in the 200m event.

Isaac Towers is a Paralympian athlete from England competing in category T34 sprint and middle-distance events. Towers won gold and became the European champion in the 800m (T34) event in 2016, qualifying for the Summer Paralympics in Rio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irmgard Bensusan</span> South African-born German Paralympic sprinter

Irmgard Bensusan is a South African born Paralympic sprinter who now competes for Germany, mainly in T44 classification events. Bensusan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics where she won three silver medals in the 100, 200 and 400 metre sprints.

Mostafa Fathalla Mohamed is an Egyptian Paralympic track and field athlete who competes in T37 sprint events.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hampshire paralympic athlete Bethany Woodward speaks out over 'able-bodied' controversy". 5 September 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 "'I'm handing back my medal': Is Paralympic sport classification fit for purpose?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. "Home". regents.ac.uk.
  4. 1 2 "Bethy Woodward". paralympics.org.uk. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bethy Woodward". thepowerof10.info. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  6. "Paralympics 2012: Silver and bronze for GB on day seven". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  7. "Paralympian withdrew from Team GB over UKA classification concerns". TheGuardian.com . 4 September 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  8. Bethy Woodward. Power of 10. Retrieved on 2015-05-20.
  9. "My best #Birthday gift yet! Little Finley Michael Timothy Doran born 26/02/17". Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2017.