VISTA2013 opening to draw big names

“I am expecting exciting debate on equipment optimisation, technical boosting, injury prevention and other performance related aspects of Paralympic sports.”

The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) VISTA2013 conference will have an intriguing Opening Ceremony panel on Wednesday (1 May) in Bonn, Germany, which will include Paralympic sprint champion Heinrich Popow and Dr. Wolfgang Potthast, who served as the scientist involved in Oscar Pistorius’ original IAAF case of whether his blades gave him an unfair advantage.

Potthast now currently works as a professor at the Institute for Biomechanics and Orthopedics at the German Sport University Cologne.

The Daily Telegraph’s Gareth Davies will moderate the round table discussion.

VISTA2013 will focus on topics regarding equipment and technology in Paralympic sports and will touch on issues that made global headlines at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Joining the aforementioned at the Opening Ceremony will be Chairperson of the IPC Sports Science Committee Dr. Yves Vanlandewijk, Dutch sitting volleyball player Elvira Stinissen and IPC Director of Media and Communications Craig Spence.

“Equipment and technology in Paralympic sport is the challenging and main theme of the VISTA2013 conference,” Vanlandewijk said.

“I am expecting exciting debate on equipment optimisation, technical boosting, injury prevention and other performance related aspects of Paralympic sports.”

The Opening Ceremony will begin with the panel’s discussion of the men’s 200m T44 race at London 2012 and the topic of blade length and technology.

Then, they will debate the running style of double-leg amputees and whether they should run against single-leg amputees, followed by a dialogue on the long jump for athletes with or without prosthesis.

The final two topics of the night will be about equipment and technology in winter sports, and how to ensure the expense of technology and equipment is not limiting the development of para-sports in certain countries.

The Opening Ceremony will conclude with a brief question and answer session with the audience.

VISTA2013 will run until Saturday (4 May) and is designed to promote and advance the mission, goals, objectives and reputation of the IPC.

It provides a platform for sport scientists to meet with experts in the field of sport for athletes with an impairment.

For full details on VISTA2013, including a schedule of events, speakers and their abstracts, please visit www.VISTA2013.com.

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Daily Telegraph Paralympics Correspondent Gareth Davies