By Modupe Oremule
Lagos – The World Para-Athletics has announced in its 2017 calendar that the first ever Junior World Championships will take place in Nottwil, Switzerland from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6.
It also said that Paris, France, will also be a new addition to the 2017 Grand Prix, with an event to be held in late May.
The World Para-Athletics made the disclosure on Thursday on its website, listing all its activities for the year.
It said a total of nine Grand Prix events would be held in 12 weeks across four continents, with all acting as stepping stones towards the World Para-Athletics Championships.
The World Para-Athletics Championships is scheduled for July 14 to July 23 in London, Great Britain.
It said that the fifth annual Grand Prix season will begin from March 20 to March 23 in Dubai, UAE.
Afterwards, athletes will head to Africa for the annual meeting in Tunis, Tunisia, from April 13 to April 15.
It said that the third Grand Prix would be held days later in Sao Paulo, Brazil from April 20 to April 22.
Reiti, Italy will host from May 5 to May 7, whilst the Charléty Stadium Paris will stage its first World Para Athletics Grand Prix from May 30 to May 31.
Athletes will compete in Arizona, U.S., from May 12 to May 13 and from May 13 to May 15 May, Beijing, China will host.
It noted that the Grand Prix season will reach a climax in June with Europe staging the final two meetings.
It said that World records were likely to tumble between June 2 and June 5, when the ultra-fast track in Nottwil, Switzerland, hosts its annual Grand Prix.
Berlin, Germany, the host city of the 2018 European Championships, will stage the year’s final Grand Prix from June 17 to June 18.
“Following the success of the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where athletes raised their performances to new levels, the 2017 Grand Prix season will bring together many of the world’s best Para-athletes ahead of London 2017.
“The Grand Prix season has grown in size and stature each year since its launch in 2013 and we are excited that this year we will be heading to Paris for the first time.
“This year’s calendar is extremely compact, nine events in 12 weeks, all building up to this year’s World Para-Athletics Championships in London,’’ it quoted Ryan Montgomery, IPC’s Director of Summer Sports as saying.
It added that the Grand Prix which was launched in 2013 attracted no fewer than 1,004 athletes from 67 countries.
“Last year, the 10 events which covered all five continents saw participation rocket to 1,964 athletes from 108 countries,’’ it said.
