Para-cyclist James Ball has moved to his sixth pilot partnership, linking up with Aaron Pope as he prepares to defend his world titles at the upcoming track cycling championships. The pair were recently rivals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where Pope guided Neil Fachie to two gold medals while Ball and Matt Rotherham claimed silver in the men's tandem B 1000m time trial and sprint events. According to BBC Sport, Ball is now aiming to build on the success he achieved with previous pilot Steffan Lloyd at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Ball's partnership changes have become a defining feature of his career, with each new pilot bringing fresh momentum to his pursuit of medals. British Cycling named Ball and Pope in its 24-rider squad for the Apeldoorn championships on 23 October, as the athlete prepares for competition at the elite level.
Why change pilots again?
Ball explained that switching partners keeps his competitive edge sharp and prevents stagnation. "Changing pilots all the time keeps it fresh though, especially for me," he said. "If we had the same tandem partnership, I feel like you'd find it hard to always progress those goals. I feel like every [new] pilot is like fresh air and a reset."
The 35-year-old from Ponthir has embraced the positivity that comes with fresh partnerships.
"Paris was the crowning moment of what I've achieved, and I was like, how can this get any better?"he reflected.
"It's like when I had Steff Lloyd for Paris. It was a whole new exciting time to be on the bike together. We're looking forward to seeing what we can do now."
How is the new partnership developing?
Ball acknowledged that Pope experienced some initial nerves as they prepared for competition together.
"I think he was quite nervous at the start as well, and obviously he wanted prove that he was good enough sort of thing,"Ball said.
"But obviously if you're on the programme, you're good enough. Training's been good and it's completely different with every pilot, the way they approach training and how we gel together."
The athlete noted that he has already begun sharing his experience with Pope despite the pilot's superior power output.
"I feel like I'm teaching him some things, even though he's way better than me power-wise, but it's nice to show some of my experience to him."Ball added that he can quickly assess whether a partnership is working effectively.
"It doesn't take me very long to realise if it's working or not, so it's really good to see."
What are Ball's expectations for the world championships?
Ball has tempered expectations for the upcoming competition, viewing it as an opportunity to evaluate their progress rather than chase immediate results.
"This world championships would be a good place to see where we're at and where the rest of the world is,"he said.
"We've got the big one next year in Paris to sort of solidify our place for the LA [Paralympics 2028]."
The athlete stressed the importance of learning from any mistakes during the event.
"If there's any mistakes and stuff, then brush them off,"he explained.
"We know a lot of learning is going to be done at this World Championships because we've got a lot of the big, heavy-hitting bikes coming as well, some who we've never even seen before."
How is the competitive landscape changing?
Ball observed that the sport is experiencing significant growth, with more nations fielding competitive tandem teams than ever before.
"We've looked and there's there's so many more tandems on the start list now, which is great,"he noted.
"There's two Australian bikes now, two German bikes, the French as well. We've got a lot who we've raced before, but obviously that was two years ago."
The championships are expected to bring together more than 200 athletes from five continents to Apeldoorn, reflecting the expanding reach of para-cycling at the international level. Ball emphasised that increased competition benefits the sport's development.
"We don't know what everyone's form is like but this year will be the year that everyone's going to put a time down, just to show what they can do and then build on that over the next two years."
What is Ball's medal record?
Ball has established himself as one of para-cycling's most decorated athletes, having medalled at all nine of his previous world championships. His haul includes eight golds, six silvers and four bronzes at the world level. At Commonwealth Games competitions, he has secured five silvers and one gold across three appearances. The Paris 2024 Paralympics delivered two gold medals in the sprint and 1km time trial, while he also holds a silver from the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.
What are Ball's future ambitions?
Despite his extensive medal collection, Ball's competitive hunger remains undiminished.
"Another Commonwealth Gold would be nice, that would be good,"he said.
"I think defending my Paris Paralympics title too. Unfortunately they've taken out the kilo, so to win the sprint then in LA, that will be a big moment for me."
Ball expressed hope that future Paralympic Games will expand the range of sprinter events available.
"We don't know what the situation is like in Brisbane [for the 2032 Paralympics]. We're hoping, fingers crossed, they bring back more sprinter events specifically."
With his long-time rival Neil Fachie retiring at age 42 following the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Ball indicated he has no immediate plans to step away from elite competition.
"To have this much time as being an elite athlete, it's incredible,"he reflected.
"I still feel great. I think I'll know myself [if it is time to retire] before my performance [shows it]. But yeah, I have absolutely no thought of stopping any time soon."
When and where is the championship?
The UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships take place at the Omnisport Apeldoorn Velodrome in Apeldoorn, Netherlands from 29 October to 1 November 2026. British Cycling has confirmed Ball among its squad of 24 riders, and the event is expected to attract more than 200 athletes from five continents.
