World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2018 Berlin Photo credit: Ralf Kuckuck/BS Berlin
The cream of para athletes would be in action in the biggest ever World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai from 7-15 November.
More than 1,400 athletes from 122 nations would be chasing for a place in Tokyo 2020 through the championships to be held at three venues — the Dubai Club for People of Determination, the Dubai Police Officers Club and Al Wasl Club.
In addition to the record participants, an estimated 1,100 officials and another 350-odd media personnel are expected to be in Dubai, making this the largest ever in the history of the World Para Athletics Championships.
The top four athletes in 90 men’s and 72 women’s events, and the top four teams in the mixed universal relay, will secure a quota spot for their respective nations at the 2020 Paralympics.
However, athletes cannot earn more than one spot, and so quotas earned from multiple events will be re-allocated. This includes athletes who have already secured their tickets to the Paralympics by virtue of placing in the top four at this year’s London Marathon, which doubled as the World Championships marathon event.
Among those who have already clinched their places to Tokyo are the the top four finishers in the T54 male wheelchair marathon in London – USA’s Daniel Romanchuk, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, Tomoki Suzuki of Japan, and China’s Dai Yunqiang.
T12 (visual impairment) world record holder Amin El-Chentouf, who won the category in London, also cannot secure another Tokyo 2020 spot for Morocco in Dubai.
TOP MALE ATHLETES
ABDELLATIF BAKA, ALGERIA
The
Algerian two-time Paralympic champion made headlines worldwide after he
won the men’s 1500m T13 in a time faster than the Rio 2016 Olympic
champion.
AKEEM STEWART, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Stewart
is a Rio 2016 champion who took two gold medals at the London 2017
Worlds and has recently set a world record in the men’s discus throw F64
at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
ANANIAS SHIKONGO, NAMIBIA
The
vision impaired sprinter became a star in his home country when he won
Namibia’s first male gold in Olympic or Paralympic Games in the men’s
200m T11 at Rio 2016.
JASON SMYTH, IRELAND
The Irish sprinter faces fierce competition to keep the position of world’s fastest Paralympian, but no other athlete since London 2012 has won the men’s 100m T13 finals in major events.
MARCEL HUG, SWITZERLAND
The ‘Silver Bullet’ has dominated the men’s T54 distance events since the Rio 2016 Games with two Paralympic gold medals followed by a hat-trick at the London 2017 Worlds.
MARKUS REHM, GERMANY
The
men’s long jump T64 will be one of Dubai 2019 highlights with the
German star who has dominated the event since winning his first world
title at the Christchurch 2011 Worlds.
MOHAMED ALHAMMADI, UAE
The
Rio 2016 Paralympic champion is UAE’s biggest Para athletics star and
will be looking for his first World Championship gold since 2011. He
will face strong competition from Tunisia’s Walid Ktila in the men’s T34
races.
NTANDO MAHLANGU, SOUTH AFRICA
The
teenage star broke into the international stage with a silver medal at
the Rio 2016 Games. Now he is the fastest man on earth in the T61 class.
PETRUCIO FERREIRA, BRAZIL
The
Brazilian sprinter has broken world record after world record in the
men’s 100m T47 in major events since Rio 2016 – in heats and finals.
RODERICK TOWNSEND-ROBERTS, USA
The USA star is Paralympic champion both in the men’s high jump and long jump T47. He will also be defending the world title in the high jump following victories at Doha 2015 and London 2017.
TOP FEMALE ATHLETES
DEJA YOUNG, USA
The
two-time Paralympic champion will be defending her 100m and 200m T47
world titles. She comes to Dubai following a hat-trick of titles at the
Lima 2019 Parapan American Games in August.
DIANA DADZITE, LATVIA
The
Latvian followed her gold medal performance at the Rio 2016 Games with
three world titles at the London 2017 Worlds. She will compete in the
women’s discus throw F55 and javelin F56 in Dubai.
HONGZHUAN ZHOU, CHINA
The
Chinese wheelchair racer has dominated the T53 class for more than a
decade with six Paralympic and seven World Championships gold medals to
her name.
KADEENA COX, GREAT BRITAIN
A
double Paralympic champion in two different sports (Para athletics and
cycling), the 28 year old will be searching for her third World
Championships gold.
LEILIA ADZHAMETOVA, UKRAINE
The
Ukrainian vision impaired sprinter followed her first Paralympic gold
in Rio with a hat-trick of gold medals at the London 2017 World
Championships.
MY GREATEST | We caught up with some of the biggest #ParaAthletics stars this year!
— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) December 25, 2018
In this episode we meet sprinter Leilia Adzhametova! ??
Read more: https://t.co/DvTOxSBu91 @AthleticsWeekly | @spikesmag | @ukrparalympic pic.twitter.com/MmUcIOQQHi
MARLENE VAN GANSEWINKEL, NETHERLANDS
The
T64 sprinter is ready to keep the Dutch tradition among blade runners
and will be the name to beat after breaking the 100m world record at the
Nottwil GP five months ago.
MARTINA CAIRONI, ITALY
Caironi
is one of Italy’s biggest Paralympic stars and will be defending her
100m and long jump titles from London 2017 in the T63 class.
OMARA DURAND, CUBA
The
five-time Paralympic champion has already left her mark in 2019 after
putting her handprints alongside those of Usain Bolt during the Parapan
Am Games. She also took three golds in Peru.
RAOUA TLILI, TUNISIA
Tlili
has won gold at every Paralympic event she has competed in and
completed another double-double at London 2017 winning the shot put and
the discus throw F41.
VANESSA LOW, AUSTRALIA
The German-born Paralympic champion will make her major competition debut for Australia. The women’s long jump T63 final against Italy’s Caironi is set to be the highlights of Dubai 2019.
Para athletics classifications
As with all Paralympic sport, athletes are classified into different sport classes based on each individual’s type and degree of impairment.
Athletes must meet minimum disability criteria to be eligible to compete in para athletics, with classification aiming to level the playing field between different impairments. The general idea behind classification is that athletes with impairments that would affect their athletics performance to a similar level will compete together in the same sport class.
The lower the number within each impairment type, the more severe the impairment to the athlete. In para athletics, sport classes start with a ‘T’ (track and jump events) or an ‘F’ (field throwing events).
Athletes are classed by visual impairments (T and F11 to 13), intellectual impairment (T and F20), co-ordination impairments (T and F31 to 34 in wheelchairs/seated; T and F35-38 standing), short stature (T and F40 to 41), lower limb impairments without the uses of prostheses (T and F42-44), upper limb impairments (T and F45 to 47), other limb deficiencies requiring a wheelchair or seat (T and F51 to 57), and lower limb impairments with prostheses (T and F61 to 64).
Click here for the IPC’s detailed explanations for each numbered sport class.
Session times
All schedule information is subject to change. Times shown are Dubai local time (UTC+4)
Thursday 7 November: Morning 0930–1200; Evening 1900–2230 (10 finals)
Friday 8 November: Morning 1000–1130; Evening 1800–2130 (12 finals)
Saturday 9 November: Morning 0900–1200 (5 finals); Evening 1800–2100 (20 finals)
Sunday 10 November: Morning 0855–1230 (7 finals); Evening 1800–2110 (14 finals)
Monday 11 November: Morning 0900–1210 (6 finals); Evening 1800–2130 (14 finals)
Tuesday 12 November: Morning 0900–1230 (5 finals); Evening 1800–2120 (18 finals)
Wednesday 13 November: Morning 0900–1140 (5 finals); Evening 1800–2100 (18 finals)
Thursday 14 November: Morning 0900–1220 (10 finals); Evening 1800–2120 (12 finals)
Friday 15 November: No morning session; Evening 1800–2000 (16 finals)
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