Inside stories

As one of Britain's most successful Paralympic middle distance athletes, Danny Crates is the ideal man to run the rule over the current crop hoping to emulate his golden achievements.

The former Paralympic, World and European champion picks out three of GB's best hopes for London 2012.

Paul Blake
Age: 22
Class: T36 (ambulant athletes with cerebral palsy) 
Events: 1500m, 800, 400m

Paul was one of the outstanding athletes at the World Championships in Christchurch last year, winning gold in the 400m and silvers in the 800m and 1500m behind the Russian Artem Arefyev.

However, although he was competing in his first major international competition in New Zealand, Paul will need to improve his tactical approach.

You must learn how to pace middle distance races because experienced athletes, even if they are slower than you, have a habit of dictating what type of race you run.

Paul has the confidence and is a real medal contender for London

That's what Arefyev did that in Wellington, producing an amazing 300m sprint at the finish which no-one saw that coming. 

Paul has to find a way to take that burst of pace out of the Russian early on and I think he has the confidence to do it. 

He's also the world record holder in the 800m and he has the potential to better that in London. A real medal contender.

 

David Weir 
Age: 32
Class: T54 (wheelchair athletes with different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations) 
Events: 5000m, 1500m, 800m, 400m

His rivalry with Switzerland's Marcel Hug is, for me, THE rivalry of the 2012 Paralympics. 

There’s plenty of talk about Oscar Pistorius and Jerome Singleton, but I’m not too sure whether there is any rivalry there, it’s only over 100m. 

The Weir/Hug rivalry is much stronger as it goes over multiple events.

Dave will not be complacent - he will be pushing himself to his very limits

Dave took Hug out in every race he competed against him in New Zealand, winning golds in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m, and that’s given Dave a massive upper hand going into London. 

Dave only beat Hug by the width of a spoke in the 800m and the Swiss racer will want revenge on Dave’s home turf.

But he is one of those who will not be complacent - Dave will be pushing himself to his very limits.

Shelly Woods
Age: 25
Class: T54 (wheelchair athletes with different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations) 
Events: 5000m, 1500m, 800m, 400m 

Like David Weir, Shelly is in a very tough class as she has to take on American Tatyana McFadden, who dominated the middle-distance gold medals in Christchurch last year.

However, Shelly is getting better. With the guidance of UK Athletics Paralympic head coach Peter Eriksson and 14-time Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc as a mentor, it could be her chance to shine. 

The difference between wheelchair racing, as opposed to ambulant (upright) events, is they have a big spectrum of competition.

The middle distance racers can go all the way from the 400m right up until the marathon, which an ambulant runner cannot do. 

By improving her 400m times, Shelly will have the speed and power she needs for the finishes in the 1500m and 5000m, giving her that extra burst needed to take medals in London.

Danny Crates features in the first episode of Road to London 2012: Paralympics Extra on 4OD or at7:00am, Saturday 25 February on Channel 4. The story of his life and career, Danny Boy, will be out next month and is available to pre-order now.