Paralympian Rhiannon Henry Retires…….After a successful 14-year swimming career, British two-time Paralympic bronze medalist, Rhiannon Henry, has announced her retirement. Henry earned her bronze medals in the 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle S13 events at the 2004 Olympics, but was unable to repeat medal success in London. After the 2012 Games, Henry joined the British Cycling Paralympic Academy program, where she trained and eventually competed as a tandem pair with visually-impaired cyclists. Reflecting on her experiences, Henry commented, “I am incredibly proud to have achieved so much throughout my career and I will always treasure the experiences I have had. Retiring is never an easy decision for any athlete and I am extremely grateful for all the support I have received in my transition from both Disability Sport Wales and UK Sport.”
2017 Games of the Small States of Europe Dates Confirmed…….The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) had its general assembly meeting and confirmed that the next edition of the Games will be held May 29th through June 3rd in 2017 in San Marino. San Marino, situated as an enclave on Italy’s Eastern coast, will serve as host for its 3rd time after the Games have already been hosted by the Republic in 1985 and 2001. There are nine member countries in the GSSE, including Cyprus, Iceland and Luxembourg. To participate in this sporting competition held every two years, member countries must have a population of less than one million people. Historically, Iceland and Cyprus top the overall medal tables, but Luxembourg has seen a surge in recent history. At the 2015 edition, Luxembourg earned a total of 34 gold medals to Iceland’s 46, while Cyprus earned 20 golds.
Surfing Added to the 2019 Pan American Games……. Just this week in Toronto, Canada, the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) General Assembly approved the addition of the sport of surfing to the 2019 Pan American Games competitive schedule. This decision further paves the way for advocates hoping to see the sport included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Says the President of the International Surfing Association, Fernando Aguerre, “This is a great moment for surfing and I’d like thank our friends at PASO and Lima for their support and for providing us with the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious event as the Pan American Games.” The 2019 edition of the Pan American Games will be hosted by Lima, Peru.