Lyon 2013 – Day six preview

Following Wednesday's crash which left Belgium's Marieke Vervoort requiring hospital treatment, the day will start with a re-run of the women's 800m T52.

The eagerly awaited showdown in the women’s 100m T43/44 is likely to be the highlight of the sixth day of the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, with the host nation hoping they can continue Wednesday's (24 July) run of form which saw them win two golds medals.

At 19:51, live on www.ParalympicSport.TV, France’s Paralympic and defending world champion Marie-Amelie Le Fur - a long jump silver medallist earlier this week - will line-up against USA’s Beijing 2008 champion April Holmes and Marlou van Rhijn of the Netherlands, the world’s fastest female leg amputee having run 12.96 seconds last month.

All three finished on the London 2012 podium, and despite le Fur posting the fastest qualifying time, it is van Rhijn, who holds the 100, 200m and 400m T43 world records, who will start as slight favourite in what should be a spectacular race.

Many of Lyon 2013’s multi-medal winners will also be in action.

The USA’s Tatyana McFadden, a winner of the 200m, 800m and 5,000m titles this week, will go for her fourth gold in the 1,500m T54, whilst her 19-year-old teammate Raymond Martin will also look to land his fourth world title is as many events in the 200m T52.

"Swiss Silver Bullet’" Marcel Hug, the 2013 400m, 5,000m and 10,000m world champion, will also compete, but only in the heats of the men’s 1,500m T54.

The world’s fastest Paralympian Jason Smyth of Ireland will be confident of matching the two gold medals of his roommate Michael McKillop when he goes in the men’s 100m T13, whilst another T13 Paralympic champion, Ilse Hayes of South Africa, will be keen for gold in the long jump after finishing with silver in the 100m.

Brazil’s Terezinha Guilhermina will be hunting her second gold in the women’s 400m T11 as will Cuba’s Yunidis Castillo who looked in impressive form qualifying for the women’s 200m T46 final.

Finland’s Paralympic champion Leo-Pekka Tahti will race the heats of his favoured 100m T54 event, and will be eager to lay down a marker to his rivals, especially Dutch racer Kenny van Weeghel who pipped the Flying Fin to 200m T54 gold.

Following Wednesday's crash which left Belgium's Marieke Vervoort requiring hospital treatment, the day will start with a re-run of the women's 800m T52.

Fresh from giving Great Britain’s Richard Whitehead his hardest ever race over 200m T42, Australia’s silver-medal winner Scott Reardon will line up in the second semi-final of the men’s 100m. Racing second will give him an opportunity to check out the form of the Paralympic and defending world champion Heinrich Popow of Germany. This week Popow has won bronze in both the long jump and 200m, but will be determined to win gold in an event he recently set the world record in.

Finally, Brazil’s speed merchant Alan Fonteles Oliveira will be back on track in the heats of the 400m T43/44. The 20-year-old is an unknown quantity over the distance, which is likely to be of no comfort to his likely medal rivals David Prince and Blake Leeper of the USA.

The 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, featuring over 1,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries, runs through until Sunday 28 July. It is the biggest gathering of international athletes since London 2012 and is being streamed each day live via www.ParalympicSport.TV.

Live results can be found at the Lyon 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships website whilst updates and behind the scenes pictures can be found at twitter.com/IPCAthletics and facebook.com/IPCAthletics. More pictures can be found at flickr.com/ipc-athletics-lyon2013.com.