Live coverage to feature stars of World Para Athletics

Australian audiences will be able to watch the Para-Athletics World Championships in Paris next week, with Paralympic broadcaster the Nine Network streaming the event live and free.

The nation’s stars of track and field, including reigning Paralympic champions, Madison de Rozario, Vanessa Low and James Turner, take on the world’s best in the first World Championships since 2019 and barely a year out from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Paralympics Australia’s recently announced broadcast partner will stream the action on 9Now between July 8 and 17.

Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Catherine Clark said: “This is an exciting milestone for our partnership with Nine which aims to bring Paralympic sport to more Australians than ever before.

“We are so thrilled that Australian audiences, particularly fans of athletics and Para-sport generally, will be able to follow the progress of our talented Australian Para-athletics team across Nine’s platforms, the new home of the Paralympics.”

Dual Paralympic gold medallist, Turner – a five-time World Champion – said the support from home would be a major boost.

“It’s really important for viewers to have this access to the Para-Athletics World Championships so they can learn more about the sport and our team to build excitement for the Paris Paralympic Games next year,” he said.

“Having the World Championships on 9Now is going to be fantastic for giving us momentum towards next year. It’s also hopefully going to increase the interest in Para-athletics and I think it can do wonders for our sport.”

Nine’s Director of Sport, Brent Williams, said: “The 2023 Para World Championships is a pivotal event for athletes and viewers on the journey to the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

“Across 10 days, 9Now will provide unprecedented coverage of Australia’s best taking it to the world, available to stream anywhere, anytime.”

Australia will field a team of 39 athletes. Many will be chasing Paralympic qualification.

Among the athletes to watch is Jaryd Clifford, who won gold at the 2019 World Championships in the 1500 metres T13 and 5000 metres T13, but won bronze and silver, respectively, at the Tokyo Paralympics.

“The way I approached this World Championships and Paralympic cycle is focusing on standing on that start line in 2024 knowing that there is no other place in the world that I would rather be, because in Tokyo I was almost looking forward to it being over,” Clifford told Athletics Australia.

“I think my career is going to be a lot more successful because of those minor medals and losses, so this is my opportunity to make amends for those mistakes.

“For me, it’s a chance to try and get back on top and win that gold medal that eluded me in Tokyo.”

By Paralympics Australia
Posted: 3/7/2022