Looking at Lyon: Women’s 100m T44

What happens when the world’s fastest female amputee takes on the host nation’s heroine at the IPC Athletics World Championships? 18 Jul 2013

France's Marie Amelie Le Fur and Marlou van Rhijn of the Netherlands - who will triumph?

ⒸIPC

By IPC

Van Rhijn has seemed to grow into a superstar overnight, and this is her race to lose as the fastest female on blades in the world. Though Le Fur enters the event as the defending Paralympic and world champion, posing quite the threat to the up-and-coming Dutch sensation.

When to watch: Heats: 11:27 on 24 July; Final: 19:57 on 25 July

What happened last time: France’s Marie-Amelie Le Fur won gold at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships, with Germany’s Katrin Green taking silver and the USA’s April Holmes claiming bronze.

World-record holder: Holmes set the current T44 world-best mark of 12.98 back in 2006 in America, while Dutch blade runner Marlou van Rhijn recently recorded a new world-record time of 12.96 in the T43 class on 15 June at an IPC Athletics Grand Prix event in Berlin, Germany. The two classes will be combined for this event in Lyon.

Who to watch: Van Rhijn has seemed to grow into a superstar overnight, and this is her race to lose as the fastest female on blades in the world. Though Le Fur enters the event as the defending Paralympic and world champion, posing quite the threat to the up-and-coming Dutch sensation. And don’t count out American Holmes, who historically has been the face of this race. Great Britain’s Sophie Kamlish and the Netherlands’ Iris Pruysen could also be potential podium contenders.

Why you should watch: Many are calling this the most exciting women’s race of the World Championships, and the one to keep your eyes on throughout the next Paralympic cycle. Whoever emerges with gold from the pack will be the one to beat on the road to Rio, and most certainly will garner international media coverage.