Hartung: Paralympic Sport Spreading Worldwide

“I think with the way athletes and the international programme is structured these days, the number of events to be held in this part of the world will only increase”.

Australian Paralympic Committee President Greg Hartung believes New Zealand’s hosting of the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships is a strong sign of the Paralympic Movement’s growth worldwide.

In Christchurch as the IPC Vice President, Hartung is confident the event will bode well for future events in the region, including Australia.

“I think with the way athletes and the international programme is structured these days, the number of events to be held in this part of the world will only increase,” said Hartung.

“We’re part of the world of sport and I think that more and more people acknowledge that good things happen in this part of the world,” said Hartung.

Kicking off in Christchurch on Friday, it is the first time a Paralympic Athletics World Championships has ever been held outside Europe. It is also the largest sporting event to grace New Zealand since the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch.

With over 1000 athletes from more than 70 countries making, what in most cases is a long journey south of the equator, Hartung is confident distance will no longer be an obstacle to Australia one day hosting a major World Championships.

“We carry aspirations to be a good host in Australia across a range of sports, not just athletics and we will put our hand up for the bidding process at the right time, in partnership with the national federations of Australia,” he said.

International competition to hit Australian shores this year includes the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in May, as well as the Arafura Games in Darwin.

One of the largest teams competing in Christchurch, Australia’s team of 46 athletes is a mix of experience and youth. The APC’s Toyota Talent Search Programme is responsible for 24 of the athletes on the team, including Paralympic gold medallist Chris Mullins and rising stars Kelly Cartwright, Jessica Gallagher and Scott Reardon.

“There are 16 first timers in the Australian team which is fantastic for us because Beijing was a big event for us and there were some retirements after that,” said Hartung.

“This is a strong team from Australia. We’ve demonstrated yet again at the Australian Paralympic Committee that our talent search programme works.

The IPC Athletics World Championships runs through to 30 January 2011, culminating in what will be a thrilling T54 men’s wheelchair marathon with the likes Kurt Fearnley, Great Britain’s David Weir and Switzerland’s Marcel Hug fighting for victory in the competition’s final gruelling event.

Complete results can be found at the official website of the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships and online broadcast coverage of the event can be found at www.ParalympicSport.TV.