SportsAid has revealed four Team England athletes who have been shortlisted for this year’s One-to-Watch Award. The winner will be announced at the charity’s Celebrate the Next event in London on Thursday 17 November. The annual award was launched in 2006 and looks to shine a spotlight on the achievements of Britain’s brightest young sporting prospects.

The success of the One-to-Watch Award’s illustrious ‘Hall of Fame’ speaks for itself as previous victors, including Tom Daley OBE, Hollie Arnold MBE, Courtney Tulloch and Alex Yee MBE, have already amassed over 50 senior medals from Olympic and Paralympic Games, World and European Championships, as well as Commonwealth Games, firmly establishing themselves as household names in British sport.

The One-to-Watch Award shortlist for this year includes four Team England, 2022 Commonwealth Games medallists:

·       Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, 21, from Grays – Para Athletics

·       Marfa Ekimova, 17, from Welling – Rhythmic Gymnastics

·       Mark Swan, 21, from Seaham – Powerlifting

·       Poppy Maskill, 17, from Middlewich – Para Swimming

The four Team England athletes, have been selected from around 1,000 rising British stars, supported by SportsAid, across more than 60 different sports during 2022. Each year, athletes are nominated by their sport’s governing body on the strength of their talent and potential, demonstrating why the One-to-Watch Award has gained such a strong reputation for identifying the best up-and-coming prospects.

The expert judging panel includes Sarah Winckless MBE (chair), former Chef De Mission for Commonwealth Games England, Ama Agbeze, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Natasha Baker MBE, a six-time Paralympic champion, Nick Hope, an award-winning Olympic and Paralympic broadcaster, and Joslyn Hoyte-Smith of the GB Olympians’ Association, this year.

Here’s more information on the four Team England athletes that have been shortlisted for this year’s One-to-Watch Award....

 

Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker

Para Athletics

21, from Grays, Essex

 

• Gold in the men’s T45-47 100m at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

• Gold in the men’s T47 100m at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2022 in Dubai

• Bronze in the men’s mixed class 100m at the British Athletics Championships 2022

 

Marfa Ekimova

Rhythmic Gymnastics

17, from Welling, Kent

 

• Gold in the women’s individual all-around at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

• Bronze in the women’s team event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

• Gold in the women’s individual all-around at the British Gymnastics Championships 2022 

 

Mark Swan

Powerlifting

21, from Seaham, County Durham

 

• Gold in the men’s -65kg category at the European Open Para Powerlifting Championships 2022

• Gold in the men’s -65kg category at the World Para Powerlifting Junior Championships 2021

• Silver in the men’s lightweight category at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

 

Poppy Maskill

Para Swimming

17, from Middlewich, Cheshire

 

• Silver in the women’s S14 100m backstroke at the World Para Swimming Championships 2022

• Bronze in the women’s S14 100m butterfly at the World Para Swimming Championships 2022

• Fourth in the women’s S14 200m freestyle at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022