Athletes Travel for IPC European Championships to Iceland and Israel

The 2009 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships and the 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships are both just days away, and athletes are certainly planning for outstanding performances in their respective events.

The 2009 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships will be taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel, from 15-19 October. Competitions will include the Combi Standard classes 1 and 2, Combi Latin classes 1 and 2, Duo Standard classes 1 and 2 and Duo Latin classes 1 and 2. The organizer of the event is the National Paralympic Committee of Israel.

Planning stages included a visit from IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Technical Committee Chairperson Grethe Andersen and IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Manager Athena Charitaki which went to Israel in late February to meet with members from the local bid authority and discuss the bid documents, as well as give constructive feedback, answer questions and talk about the next steps which need to be taken to successfully host the European Championships.

Wheelchair Dance Sport involves athletes with a physical disability that affects the lower limbs. Wheelchair dancers may participate in "combi"-style dancing with an able-bodied (standing) partner or duo-dance for two wheelchair users together. In 1998, Wheelchair Dance Sport became an IPC Championship Sport, but is not part of the Paralympic programme today. It is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and co-ordinated by the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Technical Committee, which incorporates the rules of the International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF).

The 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships will be taking place in Reykjavik, Iceland, from 18-24 October. The event will see an expected 650 athletes and staff, along with 37 participating countries. The planning stages of the 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships included a site visit from 25-26 July, with members from Iceland’s NPC, the Swimming Federation, the National Anti-Doping Organization, and the Organizing Committee.

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, Swimming has been one of the main sports of the Paralympics. Competitors measure their skills in Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Medley events. Swimming is governed by the IPC and co-ordinated by the IPC Swimming Sport Technical Committee, which incorporates the rules of the International Swimming Federation (FINA).