Swimmer
Long's international swimming career highlight was winning gold in the S8 100 m Butterfly in a new world-record time at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.
The 1994 World Championships was his first major international. He won gold in the S8 100 m butterfly, breaking the world record in the process. [2] He represented Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, and won three medals, including gold in the 100 m butterfly. He competed again at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, where he won two gold medals and one silver, and set a new world record in the 100 m butterfly. He also took part in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, winning bronze in the S8 100 m Butterfly. [3]
In the 2006 New Year Honours, Long was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to disabled sport. [4]
He announced his retirement from competitive swimming in 2007. [5]
On 5 July 2012 he was a Torchbearer as part of the Olympic Torch Relay. [6] He was the first leg of Day 48 and started on top of Norwich Castle. He then carried the torch down inside the castle and round the walls before passing the flame on as it travelled towards Ipswich.
Early life
Long grew up in Braintree, Essex in the UK. He enjoyed being in the water and joined Braintree & Bocking Swimming Club in 1983 aged seven.
At the age of 13 he was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in his right Humerus (the bone which connects shoulder to elbow). He underwent chemotherapy at University College Hospital, London and had an operation to insert a full humeral prosthetic replacement (a metal bone) into his right arm at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore. After the treatment and operation Long resumed swimming and returned to able-bodied competition though by now swimming with just his left arm.
Life returned to relative normality with a return to school but in late 1991 the disease returned with a serious infection during which Long nearly died. He was admitted to the now demolished Middlesex Hospital, London and was treated, again with chemotherapy, in the UK's first Teenage Cancer Trust unit. He was operated on by Mr Cannon at the RNOH and then spent six weeks in isolation to treat the infection. He was then operated on again before finishing his chemotherapy. The final part of the treatment was a course of Radiotherapy at Middlesex Hospital.
Television & Radio
Giles was part of the UK Channel 4 presenting and commentary team for the London 2012 Paralympics. [8] His contribution was very well received. Clive James in the Daily Telegraph wrote "Giles Long, himself three times a Paralympics swimming gold medallist, who was so thorough in explaining the requirements of swimming with a damaged body that you learned a lot about swimming in general." [9]
On the lead up to the 2012 Paralympics he presented the IPC World Swimming Championships in 2010 (both highlights and live web broadcast), BT Paralympic World Cup live coverage in 2011, the highlights of the IPC European Wheelchair Fencing Championships and packages for That Paralympic Show. [8]
In 2010 and 2011 he worked on the sports desk at Sky News and for the BBC News Channel.
Earlier in his career he had untaken work placements with BBC Radio 1 on the Mark & Lard Show, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Manchester.
David Evan Roberts CBE, is a Welsh swimmer. An eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist, he is one of Great Britain's most successful Paralympians ever.
Eleanor May Simmonds, OBE is a British former Paralympian swimmer who competed in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain. She was the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13.
Stephanie Slater, is a British Paralympic swimmer competing in S8 classification events. Slater began her sporting career as an able bodied athlete, but after suffering nerve damage to her left arm she switched to parasport. In 2013, she qualified for the Swimming World Championships in Montreal.
James Allan Anderson OBE is a Scottish former paralympic swimmer who competed in the S2 classification. He is a six-time Paralympic Games, nine-time World Paraswimming champion.
Jody Alan Cundy, is an English cyclist and former swimmer. He has represented Great Britain at seven Summer Paralympics winning eight Gold, one Silver and three Bronze medals across swimming and cycling events. He has also competed in multiple World Championships, winning 23 world titles, the most recent coming at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August 2023.
Nyree Elise Kindred MBE is a Welsh swimmer who has competed in the Paralympic Games on four occasions winning ten medals.
Matthew "Matt" Benedict Walker MBE is a British swimmer who has participated in four Paralympic Games, winning eleven medals. He competes in the S7, SM7 (medley) and SB7 (breaststroke) classifications.
Heather Frederiksen MBE is a retired British Paralympic swimmer. She is former world record holder in the women's S8 100 m backstroke, 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle and 400 m freestyle events. As of June 2017, she still holds European records in the S8 200 m and 400 m freestyle. Frederiksen is a two time Paralympic champion in the 100m backstroke S8 classification, and has won eight Paralympic medals in all.
Stefanie McLeod Reid is a track and field paralympian who competes for Canada and Great Britain, competing mainly in category T44 long jump and sprint events. A multiple medal winner at European and world level, she won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and silver in the long jump at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has participated in every summer and winter Paralympic Games.
Jonathan Peacock MBE is an English sprint runner. An amputee, Peacock won gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics, representing Great Britain in the T44 men's 100 metres event. He won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Jacqueline Rose "Jacqui" Freney is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2012 London Games, she broke Siobhan Paton's Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games by winning her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7. She finished the Games with eight gold medals, more than any other participant in the Games.
William John Bayley is a British professional Paralympic table tennis player, ranked world number 1. He is the 2016 Summer Paralympics Games gold medallist and the 2014 World Champion.
Mike Kenny, MBE is a retired British swimmer. He won 16 gold medals and two silvers over four Paralympic Games, making him the second most successful British Paralympian of all time. He twice retained his gold medals in three swimming events, breaking numerous world records in the process.
Oliver William Hynd MBE, known as Ollie, is a British swimmer. He competed in the Paralympics as a class 8 swimmer, having neuromuscular myopathy and associated limb deformities. In 2018, following reclassification protocols, Hynd moved into the S9 class, but remained in SB8 for breaststroke.
Hannah Russell, is a British Paralympic swimmer competing in S12 classification events. In 2012, she became British S12 champion in the 100m backstroke and qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games where she won a silver in the 400m freestyle and a bronze in the 100m butterfly. In the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games, she won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke with the time of 1:06:06 earning her the World Record.
Stephanie Millward, is a British Paralympic swimmer.
Josef Isaac Craig, MBE is a retired British Paralympic swimmer. Craig competed in S8 events and qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, winning gold in a world record time in the men's 400 m freestyle event.
Charlotte Sarah Henshaw is a British Paralympic full-time athlete across multiple disciplines. Originally a swimmer, she changed to canoeing from 2017, becoming the reigning World champion in the KL2 (five-time) and VL3 (three-time) 200m events. In September 2021, at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, she became a Paralympic champion at her fourth games, winning the Women's KL2 event.
Marc Woods is a British former swimmer, who competed at five Paralympic Games, winning 12 medals.
Great Britain 
