Australia to host first-ever IPC Athletics event

IPC Athletics has announced that its 2015 Grand Prix series will feature 10 different events, including a first ever event in Oceania, ensuring that major para-athletics meetings will be held in all five continents for the first time.

Starting with a meeting in Dubai, between 22nd and 25th February, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Grand Prix series will then head to Brisbane for a meeting from 6th to 8th March. Later the same month (23rd to 25th March) Tunis, Tunisia, will stage Africa's only Grand Prix of the season.

Subsequent Grand Prix events will be held in Beijing, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Mesa, USA; Nottwil, Switzerland; Grosseto, Italy; Berlin, Germany during April, May and June, before the 10th event, the Grand Prix Final is staged at a venue and date to be announced in due course.

IPC Athletics Head Ryan Montgomery explained "following the success of the Grand Prix series since it was launched in 2013, we are delighted that in 2015 we will have more events than ever before giving para-athletes in all five continents the chance to compete at the highest level.

"10 Grand Prix events will act as the perfect curtain raiser for October's World Championships in Doha and we believe by giving leading para-athletes most opportunities to compete against each other, the net result will be much improved performances and great rivalries.

"Many of the Grand Prix are now firmly established on the para-athletics calendar but in 2015 we will have an event in Australia for the first time.

"We look forward to working with event organisers to improve standards across the board and, most importantly, provide a strong and structured competition pathway on the road to Rio 2016."

Since the Grand Prix series was launched in 2013, the events have grown in size, stature and competiveness. In 2013, 1,004 athletes from 67 countries took part, whilst in 2014 these numbers increased to 1,497 athletes from 85 countries.

In addition to the Grand Prix series, the 2015 IPC Athletics Marathon World Championships will be held in London on 26th April coinciding with the Virgin London Marathon and Doha, Qatar, will stage the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships between 22nd and 31st October.

28th November 2014 - WHEELCHAIR ATHLETES TO ‘RUMBLE IN ROCKS’ ON AUSTRALIA DAY

12th December 2013 - GREG HARTUNG RETIRES AS HEAD OF AUSTRALIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE