THREE Somerset-based Paralympic athletes are set to compete in Tokyo this week - and supporters will be able to watch them live on TV. 

This week, runner Hannah Taunton, badminton player Daniel Bethell and shooter Phil Eaglesham are set to take part. 

Swimmer Suzanna Hext made her Paralympic debut last week, securing two fourth-place finishes in the 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle events, but had to withdraw from contention for two other events for health reasons. 

Supporters can watch Bethell, Eaglesham and Taunton on Channel 4's live coverage of the Paralympics. 

Every day, Channel 4 are showing live Paralympics action between midnight and 7am, and it has a dedicated website (paralympics.channel4.com) with 16 live streams which it says "will bring every sport shown live to audiences". 

Here is a recap of Somerset's hopefuls, their events and when to watch them... 

Daniel Bethell (badminton)

Bath resident Bethell, 25, will start his Paralympics journey in the badminton SL3 men's singles tomorrow (Wednesday, September 1). 

He will play against Daisuke Fujihara of Japan on court one at the Yoyogi National Stadium. 

He is ranked second in the world in singles badminton and is a three-time European champion. 

In his last tournament before heading to Tokyo, he won the 2021 Spain International after a long break in competitive action due to Covid lockdowns. 

Bethell's match against Fujihara takes place tomorrow at 1:30pm UK time (9:20pm in Tokyo). 

Phil Eaglesham (shooting)

The Taunton-based shooter will represent Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games.

He first took part in Para Shooting events in 2012 at the Wounded Warrior Trials in California, and he turned professional in 2015 before competing at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro a year later. 

Eaglesham, a former Royal Marine, competes in SH2 events for rifle athletes with impairments affecting their upper limbs who use shooting stands to help them support the weight of their rifles.  

He has already taken part in one event, finishing 14th in the qualification round of the Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing event. 

He will return to the Asaka Shooting Range tomorrow for another qualification round - this time it is the Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone event (3:30am UK time, Wednesday, September 1). 

If he finishes in the top eight, he will qualify for the final, which will be held at 5:45am UK time. 

On Saturday, September 4, he will compete in the qualification round for the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone event at 4:30am. 

The final for that event will be held at 6:45am. 

Somerset County Gazette:

Hannah Taunton (running) 

Taunton will represent Team GB in the women's 1500m T20 race. 

Taunton, who has a learning disability, took up running while attending school in Taunton, where her talent was spotted by her PE teacher who suggested that she join a local athletics club. 

She set the women's T20 5000m world record at the British Athletics Championships in Manchester last year with a time of 17:17.30. 

She is also a regular at Longrun Meadow Parkrun. 

Her race will take place on Friday, September 3 at 2:26am (UK time). 

Suzanna Hext (swimming)

Swimmer Suzanna Hext finished fourth in the women's 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle on August 25 and 26, but she was forced to withdraw from the 50m backstroke and 100m breaststroke for health reasons. 

She missed out on a medal in the 200m freestyle by just six hundredths of a second at her debut Paralympics.  

Hext, 32, who is from Cornwall but attended Millfield School between 2005 and 2007, withdrew after having several asthma attacks and being hospitalised twice.   

She also had an ear infection. 

"It's certainly not how I wanted my Paralympic Games to end but after two trips to hospital and three asthma attacks, leading me to go unconscious three times, it's just not safe for me to continue to compete," said Hext in a statement on Twitter. 

"It was always going to be a long shot after everything I've been battling health-wise. It's been a tough year of non-stop surgeries, emergency admissions, infections, physical deteriorations and time out of the pool, but each time I've battled back with the end goal in sight.

"I'll be back! Only three years to go 'til Paris. But firstly, I need to put my health as a priority for once and get better."

Former Millfield horse rider Hext started swimming competitively after becoming a triple European Para-dressage gold medallist in 2017. 

She was paralysed from the waist down after a horse riding accident in 2012.