Doha 2015: Preview of Friday’s action

Day two of competition at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, (Friday 23 October) will see 17 medals decided at the city’s Suhaim Bin Hamam stadium.

Amongst the highlights will be Brazil’s track queen Terezinha Guilhermina who is out to defend the first of three individual world titles over the next nine days of competition in the Middle East.

Guilhermina races in the 400m T11 against a field including China’s young sprint star Cuiqing Liu who qualified quickest in Thursday’s heats.

Another athlete going for gold over one lap is Cuba’s Omara Durand. The Paralympic champion lines up against the likes of Ukraine’s European champion Oxana Boturchuk.

The men’s 400m T36 final is also set to provide plenty of excitement as Russia’s defending champion Evgenii Shvetcov once again faces Great Britain’s Paul Blake, the man who took silver behind him in Lyon two years ago and at last year’s European Championships. Blake qualified fastest in Thursday’s heats – what can he do today?

The men’s 100m T11 is also set to be a thriller as the USA’s world record holder David Brown goes up against the Brazilian pair who won gold and silver at the 2013 World Championships in Lyon, France - Lucas Prado and Felipe Gomes. Brown ran a wind assisted 10.89 on Thursday evening in the semi-finals and could threaten the world record if the conditions are perfect.

Out in the field Germany’s Markus Rehm is the man to beat in the men’s long jump T44. The reigning Paralympic, world and European champion leapt a phenomenal 8.29m earlier this year to extend his own world record – he will be hoping to make a big impression once again in Doha. The Netherlands’ Ronald Hertog is amongst those hoping to upset the form book.

China’s Na Mi lines up in the women’s shot put F37 - can the likes of Germany’s Franziska Liebhardt get the better of the defending champion?

Another talented Chinese athlete hoping to excel once more is Liwan Yang. The Paralympic champion competes in the women’s javelin F54 today and the 2013 silver medallist will be hoping to get the better of defending champion Hania Aidi of Tunisia this time around.

Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili has enjoyed a successful season so far this year having broken the F41 discus world record back in February. The defending champion will be hoping that form continues in Doha today as she takes on the two athletes who won silver and bronze in Lyon, Tunisia’s Fathia Amaimia and Great Britain’s Holly Neill.

There are a number of heats also taking place out on the track today – watch out for the men’s 1,500m T54 qualifiers where Switzerland’s defending champion Marcel Hug and Great Britain’s Paralympic champion David Weir will be out to book their place in Saturday’s final.

Multiple world and Parlaympic champion Walid Ktila of Tunisia starts his medal campaign in the Middle East as he goes in the 400m T34 heats, the first of four medals the 30-year-old will be out to defend in Doha. Australia’s Rheed McCracken, Finland’s Henry Manni and Switzerland’s Bojan Mitic will all be hoping to make a good start too.

After celebrating her 24th birthday yesterday the Netherlands’ defending champion Marlou van Rhijn takes to the track in the heats of the women’s 200m T44.

he IPC Athletics World Championships has attracted around 1,300 athletes from nearly 100 countries and will continue until 31 October.

For broadcast footage from Doha 2015, please email IPC broadcast manager jose.dominguez@paralympic.org

Rights free images from the event can be downloaded here.