Athlete of the Month April

Athlete of the Month April

published on 1 May, 2018

James Willstrop is the new Commonwealth Games Champion in Squash, and therefore also The World Games Athlete of April 2018!

His career at The World Games begun in 2005, when he shared bronze in Duisburg with Nick Matthew. When Nick Matthew later triumphed at The World Games 2009 in Chinese Taipei, it was Willstrop he beat in the final. The pair also duelled for gold in two Commonwealth Games, with the outcome always being the same.

This was James Willstop's problem throughout his career: good enough to play in the important games, but mentally not strong enough to lift the trophy. Despite being the World number 1 for a period, he never won a major singles prize in his professional career. That is until his last-ever Squash game at the recent Commonwealth Games in April 2018, when he finally knew the elation of clutching the medal of a champion! A gold on the Gold Coast wrapped up a wonderful sporting celebration, where time after time athletes proved that no matter what disappointments and cruel strokes of fortune they have endured, perseverance and hard work can finally result in glory. Willstrop is not leaving Squash but he will also try his hand at acting, which is highly appropriate as his whole career could be made into a Hollywood movie!

 The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 15-25 July 2021. 3,600 athletes from over 30 sports and 100 countries will take part in the Games.

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 40 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team:
[email protected], Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our website.