Beijing 2008 Hopefuls Compete in Manchester

Some of the world’s best Paralympic athletes from the sport of Athletics, Cycling, Swimming and Wheelchair Basketball will gather in Manchester from 7 to 11 May for the fourth edition of the Paralympic World Cup.

The 2008 Paralympic World Cup will be the biggest yet with around 400 athletes from 45 different countries using the event to fine tune their preparations ahead of the Paralympic Games in Beijing in September.

In Swimming, an additional day of competition will mean more athletes than ever before competing at the Aquatics Centre. Wheelchair Basketball will continue the same thrilling format as last year and will be hosted in a new venue, the Manchester Regional Arena. With the Cycling schedule remodelled to replicate the World Championships, record numbers are expected to come to Manchester for two days of competition. Athletics will again provide a fitting climax to the event on Sunday.

The Paralympic World Cup is the biggest international multi sport event for athletes with a disability outside of the Paralympic Games. It was created to provide an annual world-class multi-sport event and to give top athletes with a disability more opportunity to compete with their international counterparts in between the four yearly Paralympic Games.

Hosted by the British Paralympic Association, it is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and the International Cycling Union (UCI), and supported by UK Sport, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The BBC has again committed to cover the event as they continue to showcase sport for persons with a disability ahead of the Paralympics.