Will Arnott (born 12 March 1999 in Reading, Berkshire) is a Paralympian who made his Paralympic debut in boccia at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.[1]
| Sport | |
|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Sport | Boccia |
| Disability class | BC3 |
Arnott was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of five.[2] He attended Treloar School.[2]
Arnott initially competed in the BC4 classification, but after surgery at the age of 15 was unable to throw anymore so switched to compete in the BC3 classification using a ramp.[2] He first represented the UK Boccia team at 2019 Zagreb Regional Open, where he won a silver medal alongside ramp assistant Connor Wellfare. The pair competed at the 2022 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro where they reached the quarter-finals, but were defeated by the Paralympic Champion Adam Peska of Czech Republic.[3]
He secured a qualifying spot for the 2024 Paralympics by winning gold in the BC3 Pairs category at the qualifying tournament in Portugal alongside Sally Kidson in March 2024.[1] The pair lost their opening two games, 7–0 to Greece and 4–3 to Peru, but then beat the hosts 4-1 and Singapore 4–1 to reach the semi-finals where they defeated Poland 5–4. In the final they defeated Japan 4–2.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Will Arnott Boccia". ParalympicsGB. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Purcell, Emma. "Will Arnott: From School Boccia Player To Paralympic Contender". Crip Life. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Will Arnott". UK Boccia. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Paralympics 2024: Will Arnott and Sally Kidson secure boccia spots for Great Britain". 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.