IPC Athletics European Championships Open

The five-day competition kicks off with the men’s Shot Put F20 at 10:50 on Sunday.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics European Championships kicked off on Saturday (23 June) with the Opening Ceremony in Stadskanaal, the Netherlands.

The Championships have brought together 520 athletes from 38 different countries to Stadskanaal for five days of competition, with 33 of those athletes being world-record holders in their respective events.

It marks the last major gathering of international athletes before the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which start in just 67 days time, and a number of athletes will be going flat out to gain qualification.

The Opening Ceremony began with the athletes parade and was followed by the playing of the Dutch national anthem and hoisting of the country’s flag.

IPC Governing Board member Alan Dickson and Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee Bert Eillert spoke to the spectators and then Max van den Berg, Queen’s Commissioner in Groningen and Member of the Dutch Labour Party, opened the event as the athletes, officials and coaches took their respective oaths.

Dickson said: “For many athletes making their international debut this week, London 2012 may come soon. However, the experience they enjoy here will benefit them greatly in their preparations for next year’s World Championships in France and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“With 33 world record holders set to compete here, I expect the level of competition to be extremely high.”

Eillert said: “It is a great honour for me on behalf of the Board of the Disability Games Foundation and the Local Organizing Committee of the 2012 IPC Athletics European Championships to welcome you all to Stadskanaal.”

The Opening Ceremony followed a pre-event that was organized at the square outside Stadskanaal’s town hall that included several cultural and musical performances and a police-escorted parade down to Pagedal led by the city’s mayor, Baukje Galama.

Russia has the largest delegation at the event with 67 athletes, Poland has 42 athletes and Germany has 34 athletes. Host nation the Netherlands has a delegation of 17 athletes, including Marlou van Rhijn, world-record holder in the women’s 100m and 200m T43 sprints.

The five-day competition kicks off with the men’s Shot Put F20 at 10:50 on Sunday.

For more information on the event, please visit www.ipcathleticseurochamps.org. To follow live results from the competition, please click on the event schedule/results tab.