Broom-Edwards hopes to harness Paris crowd 'beast'

Broom-Edwards took gold in the World Championships in May - only his second competition of the year

High jumper Jonathan Broom-Edwards sees the Paris crowd as "a beast to be harnessed" when he defends his Paralympic title in France later this year.

Broom-Edwards was one of 10 British track and field athletes named on the ParalympicsGB team in the first phase of selection on Friday, with the remainder of the athletics squad to be announced next month.

The 36-year-old from Essex, who will be competing at his third Games, will be joined by fellow Paralympic and world champions in track star Hannah Cockroft, shot putter Aled Sion Davies and javelin specialist Dan Pembroke.

Shot putter Sabrina Fortune and javelin thrower Hollie Arnold, who both won gold at the Worlds in Kobe last month, have also been named along with track competitors Sammi Kinghorn and Ben Sandilands, who triumphed at the 2023 Worlds in Paris, and sprinter Kare Adenegan and long jumper Olivia Breen, who were silver medallists in France.

Broom-Edwards, who took silver on his Games debut in Rio in 2016 before claiming his maiden Paralympic title in Tokyo with only team members and other athletes supporting him, told BBC Sport that he is excited about having a crowd supporting him in France.

"In Tokyo, I still had a lift from being in the stadium, but nothing can compare to an actual full stadium," he said.

"I got a glimpse of it in Rio in 2016 and then got to experience it when I worked as a pundit in the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"It is a beast to be harnessed and is something that you need to be prepared for, but you also have to allow it to carry you – in my case to higher heights."

Broom-Edwards, who was born with talipes (club foot), has always been a high jumper but only realised after London 2012 that his impairment made him eligible for Paralympic competition.

Broom-Edwards regularly competes against non-disabled rivals

He has been a mainstay of the British team since his debut at the 2013 Worlds and as well as his titles, has had to show resilience after suffering a ruptured Achilles in early 2018 and having a change of coach post-Tokyo.

The Loughborough-based athlete is now working with former international Beth Miller (formerly Partridge) and the pair have worked on a new run-up for this season which they hope will lead to more power and momentum over the bar.

Broom-Edwards goes into Paris as the reigning three-time world champion in his T64 high jump event after a best jump of 2.04m in Kobe last month saw him beat American newcomer Derek Loccident on countback, with long-time rival Maciej Lepiato of Poland in third.

"Kobe was amazing because for the first time, there was a stacked line-up of similar standard jumpers and I didn’t have to wait an hour or more before my opening jump," Broom-Edwards said.

"The sport is growing and I really enjoyed that feeling with new faces challenging and pushing me.

"I am still confident in my ability and I know I have a really good jump in me so I will let it drive me but I won’t let it distract me.

"Derek's character and energy was so brilliant for the sport and that gives me the kick up the backside I need. He's coming and anything can happen.

"My clearance at 2.04 was the best feeling ever and I celebrated a little too hard on the way down which spiked my adrenaline and maybe threw me off a little bit. But it has taught me things I need to learn from and work on.

"I jump best when I am in a flow state and having fun. Now I want to maintain the consistency of jumps which I have had over the last few years and hopefully the heights will come with the extra adrenaline of competition, as long as I can keep in a relaxed state."

The Paris Paralympics take place from 28 August until 8 September.