IPC Press Release Dec 09, 2011: IPC Swimming Classification Programme, The French city of Lyon will host to the 2013 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships, the IPC announced on Friday (9 December). The Championships – the first major international Athletics event following the London 2012 Paralympic Games – will run from 20-29 July 2013 and are expected to draw 2,000 athletes and officials from 118 countries.
A full nine days of competition will be organized by Handisport France in conjunction with the IPC, beginning with a stunning Opening Ceremony and concluding with the Marathon event and Closing Ceremony. “We are very excited to be heading to France in 2013 for the IPC Athletics World Championships,” said IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez, who signed the contract with the Local Organizing Committee on Friday morning prior to the IPC General Assembly in Beijing, China.
“With the London 2012 Games just around the corner, Lyon 2013 will feature many new heroes, Paralympic champions and world-record holders who I am sure will provide great entertainment for the French crowds. “The Local Organizing Committee has so far shown great enthusiasm for this Championships, and the whole of the IPC Athletics team is looking forward to working with them in the years to come.”
Gerard Masson, President of the French National Paralympic Committee said: “We are delighted to be bringing one of the biggest para-sport events in the world to France, especially so soon after London 2012. “We are committed to delivering a superb World Championships in Lyon and are confident that we have the right conditions to ensure that athletes can deliver the best possible performances.”
The most recent IPC Athletics World Championships were held in January 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 57 world and 173 championship records were broken. China led the standings with 21 gold and 58 total medals, while Russia finished second and Brazil third. The last time the event was held in France was in 2002, when Lille staged the Championships.
Laurent Allard serves as Managing Director of Handisport France, and his team’s bid to host the event has been supported by: Ministry for Sport, Regional Council of Rhone-Alpes, General Council of Rhone, French Athletics Federation and French Olympic and Sports Committee.
For more information on IPC Athletics, please visit http://ipc-athletics.paralympic.org/.
New IPC Swimming Classification Programme Launched:
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming and its education partner, the IPC Academy, has today (9 December) launched an online programme designed to be the first step on a pathway for anyone considering becoming a Classifier in the sport. The launch coincides with the IPC Conference and IPC General Assembly which is currently ongoing in Beijing, China and is being attended by around 200 IPC members including National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, International Organizations of Sport for the Disabled and Regional Organizations.
The course, which is a 20 to 25 hour online learning programme, aims to provide a point of entry to those looking to get involved in classification of IPC Swimming athletes. It ensures those who the complete the programme have a greater knowledge, skill-set and competence of what is expected as a Classifier.
Developed in an easy to follow learning format, the programme includes the most up-to-date description of the classification rules and uses specially compiled footage to demonstrate and highlight learning outcomes. The programme also has updated imagery, interactive quizzes, animations and many other features.
In addition, the IPC Academy is developing a complete series of programmes to complete the pathway through competency assessed initiatives which will be delivered by experienced and certified educators. This programme is the second online learning programme to be launched in recent months following October’s launch of the Athletics Technical Officials programme.
Chris Solly, Director of the IPC Academy, said: “It is a very important area for both sport performance and development to ensure that athletes are provided the best classification opportunities. “With this programme now launched along with the Athletics Technical Officials programme we are quickly achieving the desire to provide the tools and resources required for the IPC sports to further develop in the coming years.”
IPC Chief Executive Officer, Xavier Gonzalez added: “This programme’s launch is a major step forward for the sport of Para-Swimming and it’s a credit to all involved that we have such a tool now available. “Any successful para-sport needs good quality classifiers and this holistic learning pathway provides a structure that allows the sport to develop throughout the regions and a resource for the NPCs to build upon. It will improve Classification at all levels benefiting athletes, administrators, competitions and the sport alike.”
To access the programme follow the link to the IPC Academy website at www.ipc-academy.org
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