Athletics 2018 Ones to Watch: distance

Three female and six male distance racers have been named on the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Ones to Watch list for the upcoming Para athletics season, which will kick off on 13 March with the first Grand Prix in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Selected by World Para Athletics, the Ones to Watch athletes are individuals who have the potential to make headlines this season.

The list includes world and Paralympic champions who stood out at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and London 2017 World Championships.

The Ones to Watch list for sprinters has already been announced, and athletes for field events will be announced in the coming days.

Full biographies of the Ones to Watch for Para athletics are now available here.

Hongzhuan Zhou, China

Zhou is one of the world’s best T53 wheelchair racers who, during a glittering career, has won six Paralympic and seven world titles.

Tatyana McFadden, USA

McFadden is arguably the world’s best female wheelchair racer. With seven Paralympic titles, 15 world gold medals and over 20 major marathon wins to her name, the American has become a dominant force in women’s wheelchair racing.

Manuela Schaer, Switzerland

The Swiss racer began 2017 with a second-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in February, but come April she was at the top of the podium – a place she would become familiar with by the end of the year.

Abdellatif Baka, Algeria

Baka made global news at the Rio 2016 Paralympics when he won the men’s 1,500m T13 in a time faster than the Rio 2016 Olympic champion.

Marcel Hug, Switzerland

The ‘Swiss Silver Bullet’ won his first Paralympic gold at the Rio Games and raced away with the Abbott World Marathon Majors title for 2016/2017.

Walid Ktila, Tunisia

Ktila has dominated the world stage in recent years, achieving a clean sweep of four gold medals at each of the last three World Championships.

Brent Lakatos, Canada

Lakatos has competed at no fewer than five World Championships, dating back to 2006. He has finished on the podium every single time, but London 2017 was undoubtedly his best yet.

Samwel Kimani, Kenya

The vision impaired athlete took on both the 1,500m and 5,000m T11 at Rio 2016 – and returned home to Kenya with two gold medals.

Michael Brannigan, USA

Brannigan became the man to beat in men’s T20 middle-distance racing. After announcing himself on the to the world stage at Doha 2015 with victory in the 1,500m and silver over 5,000m, Brannigan’s trajectory continued apace.