Blackpool Wyre and Fylde's Isaac Towers bids for more European athletics glory in Berlin

Blackpool Wyre and Fylde AC's Great Britain wheelchair athlete  Isaac Towers is hoping to add to his medal collection at this week's Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin.
European champion Isaac TowersEuropean champion Isaac Towers
European champion Isaac Towers

Towers, 19, will defend his gold medal in his favourite 800m event in Germany and will also contest the 400m, in which he won silver two years ago.

At the last Euros in Grossetto, Italy, Towers denied Henry Manni’s quest for a quadruple gold.

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The 26-year-old from Finland missed out on a clean sweep of four title in Grosseto after losing out to Towers in the T34 800m final.

And with Towers’ and his fellow GB athlete Ben Rowlings in the mix, the 800m battle is set to be the a highlight of the seven-day championships, which begin in the German capital on today.

Towers’ personal best in the 800m is 1:39.18, with Rowlings having gone six seconds faster in Switzerland last year.

Towers followed that European 800m gold two years ago by claiming bronze at the Paralympics in Rio, and now he is aiming to be in podium contention again.

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Towers told The Gazette: “I am hoping to be up in the medals.

“My main rivals are Ben Rowlings and Henry Manni. And from past experience, I’m sure they will not be far away.”

The former AKS pupil is now studying business at Loughborough University and is juggling exams and training.

And although he would like at least one medal in next week’s Europeans, his long-term are for World Championships glory and the Paralympics in Tokyo 2020.

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He added: “At the moment I have got resits for my university too, so it is a really busy time.

“My long-term aims are the World Championships next year (in Dubai) and then obviously 2020 is the big one.

“So those are my two main targets in terms of long- term goals.”

Towers is first due to contest the 400m on Thursday. His 800m heat will take place the following day and then hopefully the final on the closing day of the games, Sunday 26.

All Towers’ races are scheduled for the early evening.

Isaac also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the last Europeans but will not be competing over that distance this week.