Gavin Walker, captain of Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team, believes the squad is “peaking at the right time” as they prepare to defend their Paralympic title in Paris.
Walker, a former firefighter, was a key member of the team that made history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics by winning Great Britain’s first-ever gold medal in the sport.
Since then, the team has faced a transitional period with mixed results, complicated further by the increasing competition from rival nations. Despite these challenges, Walker is optimistic about their chances as they prepare to start their Group B matches against Australia on Thursday, followed by games against Denmark and France in the coming days.
“We weren’t the favorites going into Tokyo, but we had a strong belief that we could win gold,” Walker, 40, told the PA news agency. “Everything is coming together at the right time, and we believe we can replicate that success in Paris. We think the outcome can be in our favor.”
Walker acknowledged that this year’s competition will be tougher, with up to eight teams being more competitive than ever before. “I expect most of the games to be very close, so it’s all to play for,” he said. “We’re peaking at the right time, everyone feels it’s coming together, and I’m confident we can deliver a great performance.”
ParalympicsGB, led by co-captains Walker and Chris Ryan, secured a 54-49 victory over the United States in the final at Tokyo 2020. However, since then, Ryan has switched to table tennis, and other key players, including Jim Roberts, have left the team. Despite these changes, seven members of the Tokyo squad remain, along with five Paralympic newcomers.
The team has faced challenges since their Tokyo triumph, including finishing as runners-up to France in the last two European championships and a disappointing seventh-place finish at the 2022 World Championships in Denmark. However, Walker, who is supported by vice-captain Stuart Robinson, believes the current squad is even stronger than the one that won gold in Tokyo.
“It’s taken us three years to rebuild,” said Walker, who sustained a spinal injury in 2010 after slipping on wet decking at a family barbecue. “The changes in athletes and coaching staff have made it a work in progress.”
Walker added, “The Europeans and World Championships between Tokyo and now didn’t go our way. Losing key players always requires rebuilding, and much of that comes down to time—rebuilding chemistry and putting in the hours to ensure we perform at our best. In many ways, we are stronger this time around.”
