Some 1,400 athletes from nearly 100 countries are expected to compete in Doha for the IPC 2015 World Championships, which organizers believe will "be the best ever."
The Paralympics competition begins today and will run for 10 days. All 70 hours of action will be streamed live over IPC's website. The biennial championships are the last major gathering of track and field stars before next year's Olympics. In addition to the gold medals to be won in Qatar, there are Rio 2016 qualifying slots up for grabs.
In total, there are 214 medal events and 15 sports. Approximately 350 athletes will be using wheelchairs. Philip Craven, the IPC president who claimed these could be the best world championships, said that he expected athletes in Qatar to compete "perhaps more fiercely than they ever have done before." It is the sixth time the event has been held, and these are the first world championships to be hosted in the Middle East.Among the most anticipated events is the 100 meters T44 final which could see world record holder Jarryd Wallace race against his fellow American, and former record holder, Richard Browne. Last week, Qatar hosted the AIBA World Boxing Championships, which drew both Manny Pacquiao and the Klitschko brothers.
Qatar will also host the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
