David Roberts (swimmer)

David Roberts

David Roberts at the London 2008 Olympic victory parade
Personal information
Full name	David Evan Roberts
Born	(1980-05-25) 25 May 1980 (age 36) Llantwit Fardre, Wales, United Kingdom
Residence	Cardiff, Wales
Sport
Country	Great Britain  Wales
Sport	Men's swimming
Disability class	S7
Medal record David Roberts Medal record Men's swimming (S7) Representing  Great Britain Paralympic Games 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle S7 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle S7 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts 2004 Athens 50 m freestyle S7 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle S7 2004 Athens 400 m freestyle S7 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts 2008 Beijing 100 m freestyle S7 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts 2008 Beijing 400 m freestyle S7 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle S7 2000 Sydney 100 m backstroke S7 2000 Sydney 400 m freestyle S7 2000 Sydney 4×100 m medley 34 pts 2004 Athens 200 m indiv. medley SM7 2000 Sydney 4×50 m freestyle 20 pts IPC Swimming World Championships 2002 Mar Del Plata 50 m freestyle S7 2002 Mar Del Plata 100 m freestyle S7 2002 Mar Del Plata 4×100 m medley 34 pts 2006 Durban 50 m freestyle S7 2006 Durban 100 m freestyle S7 2006 Durban 400 m freestyle S7 2006 Durban 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts 2010 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle S7 2002 Mar Del Plata 400 m freestyle S7 2006 Durban 4×100 m medley 34 pts 2010 Eindhoven 400 m freestyle S7 2002 Mar Del Plata 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts 2006 Durban 200 m individual medley S7 2010 Eindhoven 50 m freestyle S7 2010 Eindhoven 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts Commonwealth Games Representing  Wales 2002 Manchester 100 m freestyle MD 2006 Melbourne 100 m freestyle MD

David Evan Roberts CBE (born 25 May 1980), is a Welsh swimmer. An eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist, he is one of Great Britain's most successful Paralympians ever.

Roberts went to Llwyncrwn Primary School and moved on to Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in his teens. He currently lives in Cardiff. He is a professional disabled swimmer who represents Caerphilly County Swim Squad, Wales and Great Britain. He previously trained at the Swansea High Performance Centre at the Wales National Pool in Swansea but now trains with Caerphilly County Swim Squad with his new coach Peter Key. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age eleven and was encouraged to participate in swimming activities as a form of physical therapy. His International Paralympic Committee (IPC) swimming category is S7 SB7 SM7.

His first represented Wales in competition in Glasgow in 1993. His first major competition for Great Britain was at the 1999 European Disabled swimming Championships in Braunschweig, Germany where he won all four of his races. He competed in his first Paralympic Games in Sydney in the summer of 2000. Here he won an impressive haul of seven medals.

At the 2001 European Disabled Swimming Championships in , Sweden, David won five gold medals including a clean sweep of the S7 50 m, 100 m and 400 m freestyle events.

The Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games saw Elite Athletes with Disabilities (EAD) competing alongside able-bodied athletes at a major competition for the first time. David was the only disabled swimmer from Great Britain to win a medal, taking the bronze in the men’s multi disability 100 m freestyle.

Roberts won his first IPC World Swimming Championship medals in Mar Del Plata, Argentina in December 2002. He won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze.