A number of Paralympic athletes including South Africa’s `Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius and `Fastest Paralympian on Earth’ Jason Smyth are featured in a new video trailer to promote January’s International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Thirteen of the more than 1,000 athletes from 70 countries set to compete in Christchurch star in the 100-second trailer that can be found at ParalympicSport.TV, the official online TV channel of the IPC.
The trailer features all 13 athletes in action at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and aims to give the viewer a taste of what they can expect in Christchurch for what will be the last major gathering of international athletes ahead of London 2012.
Joining Irish sprinter Smyth and Pistorius in the video is Jerome Singleton, the American sprinter who came within a whisker of beating Pistorius in Beijing and will be looking to finally get one over on his rival in January.
Other big name athletes starring in the trailer are Australian Kurt Fearnley, South African Ernst Van Dyk, Brit David Weir and Swiss rising star Marcel Hug, who will all go head-to-head in a number of races in Christchurch including the much anticipated marathon.
South Africa’s Beijing gold medal winning long jumper Hilton Langenhoven, who also won 200m T12 and pentathlon gold in China, is also featured alongside Czech shot putter and Paralympic Games gold medalist Eva Kacanu.
The American duo of April Holmes and Jessica Galli also appear in the show reel. Between them they have won eight Paralympic Games medals and in Christchurch Holmes will be defending her 100m and 200m T44 world titles, while Galli will be looking to retain her position as the world’s best 400m T53 racer.
Lucas Prado and Terezinha Guilhermina, the Brazilian sprint pair who are visually impaired are also included. After winning a hat-trick of golds in Beijing in the 100m, 200m and 400m T11, Prado will be determined to repeat that feat in New Zealand. His team-mate Guilhermina will also be looking to retain the 200m world title she won 4 years ago and aiming to improve on the silvers she won in 100m and 400m in Assen, the Netherlands.
