What you need to know about Berck Sur Mer 2018

With one year to go until the Berck Sur Mer 2018 European Open Para Powerlifting Championships, here are five things you need to know before the competition starts on 25 May 2018.

1. Around 250 athletes from 40 countries are expected to compete at the event, making it the biggest ever.

2. The event will take place between 25-30 May.

3. It will be the third European Open Para Powerlifting Championships since 2013, when the competition returned to the calendar in Aleksin, Russia, after a six year hiatus.

4. Eger, Hungary, staged the last edition in 2015, which featured more than 200 athletes from 41 countries. Four world and six European records were broken as athletes took one of the final chances to improve their place in the Paralympic rankings ahead of Rio 2016.

5. Berck Sur Mer is a commune in northern France with a number of natural attractions such as the Bay of Authie, a natural reserve on the coast with seal sightings.