Top paralympians in NZ for world champs
18 Jan 2011
IPC Athletics World Championships - Christchurch
22 - 30 January, 2011
More than 1100 athletes from 80 countries are converging on the South Island city of Christchurch for the IPC Athletics World Championships - the biggest event of its kind outside the Paralympic Games.
The world championships are held every four years, and Christchurch defeated Barcelona to win the rights to host the 2011 event.
Athletes have begun arriving in Canterbury and many are already training in preparation for competition which begins on 22 January at QE11 Stadium.
The event is one of the last major gatherings of international athletes before the London 2012 Paralympic Games and most of the world’s top sportsmen and women will be in New Zealand to compete.
Economic impact
As well as 1100 athletes, the World Championships will also bring 700 officials, coaches and managers, 150 international technical officials and more than 100 overseas media to Christchurch.
New Zealand will field a team of nine athletes and big international names set to compete in Christchurch include South African ‘Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, Swiss ‘Silver Bullet’ Marcel Hug and American wheelchair racer Jessica Galli.
The event is expected to have an economic impact on New Zealand in excess of NZ$72 million.
Track & field
Track and field events will be held for athletes with disabilities such as spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy, as well as amputees and the visually impaired.
A secondary 400m, eight-lane track and extra throwing facilities have been added to the QE11 Stadium for training and warm-up prior to and during the event.
Christchurch City Council says the new track - made mostly of recycled car tyres - will attract more high level events to the city as it makes QE11 the only venue in New Zealand to have a high quality training track in close vicinity to the main track, which is a requirement of the IAAF sports governing body.
The QE11 Stadium was built for the 1974 Commonwealth Games, and is a multi-sport and leisure complex with an Olympic-size 10-lane lap pool.
Rich hosting history
Mayor Bob Parker says Christchurch has a rich history in hosting friendly, efficient and successful international sports events and especially disability events - including the IPC World Swimming Championships (1998), ISMWSF World Wheelchair Games, ISOD World Athletics Champs and the Boccia World Cup (2003), and the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships (2006).
Parker said the fact that Christchurch won the IPC Athletics World Championships over Barcelona recognised the city’s "modern infrastructure, a wonderful range of hotels, excellent transport structures and a central city environment that allows people to move around easily".
"It has all the right ingredients for a world class event," Parker said.
More than 800 people have volunteered to help with the event which runs from 21 - 30 January.
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