By David Gold

Paracanoe_thumb130_August 16 - More than 70 athletes are in Szeged, Hungary, for Paracanoe events at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship which is due to get underway tomorrow.


Paracanoe was introduced to the World Championships in 2008, and last year 63 athletes from 28 countries competed in Poznan, Poland, for glory.

Men and women will compete across three classification groups in the K1 Kayak and V1 Canoe disciplines, with heats taking place on the opening day of the Championships.

The finals will follow the day after at the Maty-ér regatta course, and among the favourites will be Hungarian Sándor Szabó.

"I'm excited and nervous and very curious about my development since the Poznan World Championships," he said, although he is also concerned about the preparation he has had for the competition.

"I could train in a more professional environment; I spent last month in Szolnok where two to three coaches worked with us."

Last December, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) opted to admit Paracanoe alongside Paratriathlon as new sports for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games.

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