Manchester sees World Cup return

The Paralympic World Cup will return to Manchester for a fourth successive year, according to the British Paralympic Association (BPA).

The event, due to be held from 7-11 May this year, is currently scheduled as the last major international competition before the Paralympics are held in September, and this year will feature an extended programme of athletics, swimming and cycling to replicate activities in Beijing.

Wheelchair basketball will follow the same format as previous years.

Wheelchair athlete David Weir, who set championship records in both the T54 200m and 400m at last year’s competition, said: “It is fantastic news that we will have the opportunity to compete in Manchester just a few months before the Paralympics. This is a great opportunity to fine tune our preparations and will offer us a perfect challenge ahead of Beijing.”

Swimmer-turned-cyclist Jody Cundy said the event “promises to be a wonderful competition for us all”.

Phil Lane, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said the Paralympic World Cup was now firmly a part of the disability sport calendar.

He said: “This year there is an extended programme of sport which is a tremendous opportunity for Britain’s elite athletes with a disability and aspiring Paralympians to compete in a major international competition ahead of the Paralympic Games and to get a taste for what it could be like to compete in front of a home crowd at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.”

Last year’s Paralympic World Cup saw 340 athletes from 47 countries compete for 143 medals, and featured Tanni Grey-Thompson’s last competitive race.

Events will once again take place at the Manchester Aquatic Centre, Sport City complex, and the Manchester Velodrome.