Paralympic athletes leave for Athletics Championships

The Irish Paralympic track and field athletes leave Dublin today for the 2002 IPC World Athletics Championships in Lille, France.

Competitors are drawn from the Irish Wheelchair Association Sport, Irish Blind Sports and Cerebral Palsy Sport.

The IPC World Athletics Championships is a crucial event for athletes with a disability, second only to the Paralympics.

For most of the athletes, this is the first major international competition since Sydney 2000 Paralympics, where Ireland brought home five gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

The opening ceremony will take place this Sunday, July 21 and competition will continue for one week.

The team will arrive tonight in Lille with strong medal expectations, previous Paralympic medallists are among the Irish squad.

Outstanding performers include Catherine Walsh, Gabriel Shelly, Patrice Dockery and John Fulham.

Two Paralympic athletes, Bridie Lynch and Roy Guerian will not be joining the Irish Team in Lille due to injuries.