Athletes from the Macclesfield area gear up for the Commonwealth Games
By Alex Greensmith 31st Jul 2022
The opening ceremony for the Commenwealth Games took place on Thursday evening.
And a few Macclesfield area athletes will be making the short trip to Birmingham to compete in the Games, which run until August 8.
Here are some sportsmen and women to watch out for with connections to our town.
Ethan Vernon
The youngest competitor on the list, 21 year old Ethan Vernon will compete in road and track cycling events for Team England.
The Bedford-born biker moved to Macclesfield in recent years, and competed in the last Commonwealth Games, but for Team Wales.
One for the future, he also placed placed 7th in the men's 4,000m Team Pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics.
He has over 11,000 followers on social media. Follow him on Instagram.
Libby Clegg
A household name from her medal haul and appearance on ITV's Dancing on Ice, Libby Clegg is no stranger to the spotlight.
However, there will be special attention on the former sprinter as she has switched sports to para-cycling for the Commonwealth Games.
The 32-year-old (who has an MBE) started her running career age 9 with Macclesfield Harriers AC, and was raised in Bollington.
Her first Olympics was Beijing 2008, where she took a silver medal. She also came second at London 2012.
The double Paralympic Champion won Gold in Rio at the 100m T11 and 200m. She also won silver in the Mixed 4 × 100 m relay in Tokyo last year.
She's had six months training on her bike, but with five Paralympic Medals on her belt, don't be surprised if she wins a medal.
Libby's partner Dan Powell is also a pro athlete, and will take part in the judo.
Stephen Clegg
Libby's brother - also raised in Bollington - will also be competing for Team Scotland.
Stephen started para swimming in 2014. The visually impaired athlete has Stargardt disease, which his sister has as well. He competed in four events in Rio 2016, winning no medals. But then silenced the critics bringing home a Paralympic Silver, Bronze and Bronze in Tokyo.
The Bollington-raised athlete has won medals at World and European Championships, including a Gold and Silver this year.
The Edinburgh University alumni is a world record holder, and can be followed on Instagram and Twitter.
Good luck to all athletes! And enjoy the games.
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