Dubai 2019: Australia and Germany name teams

Dubai will see the best of Australia and Germany in action at the World Para Athletics Championships.

Both countries have announced a thirty-plus-strong team for the competition including several Paralympic and world champions.   

The Australian will take 14 female and 23 male athletes to the UEA, including their three gold medallists from the Rio 2016 Paralympics – Brayden Davidson in the men’s long jump T36, Scott Reardon in the men’s 100m T42/63 and James Turner in the men’s 800m T36.

Another Rio 2016 champion in the team is long jumper Vanessa Low, who represented Germany at the last Paralympics and will take part in her first major championships since becoming an Australian citizen.

Also included in the gold and green squad are 23 members who competed at the 2017 Worlds in London. Eight athletes will make their World Championships debut in Dubai.

“There has been a changing of the guard within the Australian Para-athletics team,” said the Chef de Mission of the 2020 Australian Paralympic Team, Kate McLoughlin.  

“These World Championships are an opportunity for athletes who are in contention for a place on the 2020 Australian Paralympic Team to test themselves against the best in the world, less than 12 months out from the Paralympic Games,” she added.

The full Australian team can be found below.

German strength 

Germany will take 34 athletes to Dubai, with three-time Paralympic champion long jumper Markus Rehm headlining a mix of reigning world champions, world record holders and 12 World Championships debutants.

Irmgard Bensusan, Sebastian Dietz, Johannes Floors, Niko Kappel and Rehm are the London 2017 Worlds champions who will be defending their titles in the UAE. 

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Women’s shot put F44 world champion Frederike Koleisk will not be able to defend her medal due to injury. European champion in the men’s javelin F41, Mathias Mester is another injured athlete who will not be in Dubai.

But there are also good news for German fans as four-time Paralympic medallist and Doha 2015 400m T44 world champion David Behre makes his comeback in the first major event since Rio 2016. 

“The entire world will be represented in the World Championships and the other nations are improving more and more. This is will be a great opportunity for us,” said national team coach Marion Peters.

“Our established forces will want to confirm their status, while for the next generation and the debutants it is all about gaining international experience at this level. They have been gradually introduced to the national team,” Peters added.

You can find the complete Team Germany for Dubai here below.

The Dubai 2019 World Championships kicks off on 7 November and will be live on World Para Athletics website and Facebook page.