Gold medallists head squad

Emma Brown is keen for another medal in Athens

Sydney gold medallists Emma Brown and Anthony Peddle will lead Great Britain's powerlifting medal challenge at the Athens Paralympics.

The pair head the British Paralympic Association's five-strong squad.

Brown, world record holder in the 82.5kg division, said: "The competition is going to be tough and I think the winner will have to set a new record."

Peddle, who will be competing in his fifth Games in Athens, is aiming to defend the 48kg title.

Brown, who lives near Pontypridd in south Wales, is ranked number one in the world at under 82.5kg and became the first British woman to win a powerlifting medal when she won gold in the under 82.5kg division.

She holds the world benchmark of 140kg in the over 82.5kg bodyweight class, which she set to win the European Championships in Slovakia last year.

"Training is going well and I'm hoping to retain my title with a world record. A world record would be the icing on the cake for me," Brown added.

GB POWERLIFTING TEAM Men's 48kg: Anthony Peddle 60kg: Jason Irving Women's 48kg: Julie Salmon 56kg: Natalie Blake 82.5kg: Emma Brown

The 32-year-old Peddle, who is based in Northampton, set a world record of 168kg at Sydney.

But he missed the 2002 World Championships and Commonwealth Games after suffering a serious shoulder tendon injury in training.

Natalie Blake finished just outside the medals in fifth in the women's 56kg category at Sydney, but won silver in the 2002 World Championships and a gold at last year's European Championships in Slovakia.

Jason Irving and Julie Salmon will both be competing in their first Paralympic Games.

Irving won gold in the 67.5kg category at the 2003 European Championships, but has now dropped down to the 60kg weight to maximise his power-to-weight ratio.

Salmon won a bronze in the 52kg weight at the 2003 European Championships and has dropped down a category to 48kg for Athens, for the same reason.