James Ball (cyclist)

James Ball

Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1991-06-24) 24 June 1991 (age 30) Ponthir, Wales
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Cycling
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Men's Para-cycling Para-cycling Track World Championships 2016 Montichiari Tandem B sprint 2017 Los Angeles Tandem B kilo 2017 Los Angeles Tandem B sprint 2018 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B kilo 2018 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B Sprint 2019 Apeldoorn Tandem Sprint 2019 Apeldoorn Tandem Kilo 2020 Milton Tandem sprint 2020 Milton Tandem Kilo 2020 Tokyo Tandem Kilo Representing  Wales Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast Tandem B kilo 2018 Gold Coast Tandem B sprint

James Ball (born 24 June 1991) is a British Paralympic cyclist who competes in tandem races as an athlete with a visual impairment.^[1] A multiple world champion across the tandem sprint events, Ball's latest title came in 2021, further cementing his partnership alongside Lewis Stewart where they won silver in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics

Cycling career[]

Welshman Ball started his sporting career as a swimmer, before moving to athletics. The visually-impaired athlete was in-line to earn selection in track and field for ParalympicsGB at London 2012, however suffered an injury which ended those aspirations.

On his journey back to full fitness, Ball took part in turbo testing arranged by British Cycling, and his potential on a bike was discovered.

Paired with pilot Craig McLean, Ball took a bronze medal away from his first world championships, in 2016. Paralympic selection – and fifth place in the kilo – followed, before a golden 2017 saw Ball and Matt Rotherham win a sprint double at the world championships in Los Angeles.

Further medals were gained – at both the world championships and the Commonwealth Games – in 2018 where he won Wales's first medal, a silver in the men's B&VI 1,000m time trial.<ref>"Commonwealth Games: Para-cyclist James Ball wins Wales' first medal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 April 2018.</ref

Ball returned to the top step of the podium at the 2019 world championships, winning the kilo alongside Pete Mitchell.

In 2020 Ball teamed up with Stewart, and the partnership got off to a hugely promising start, winning sprint gold and kilo silver at the world championships in Milton.

In 2021 Ball expanded his collection landing the silver in the men’s 1000m time trial at the Tokyo games, further cementing his partnership with Lewis Stewart where they narrowly missed out on the gold to fellow GB team mates Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham.

Personal history[]

Ball was born in 1991, and comes from Ponthir in Wales.

References[]