World Para Athletics Championships: Top para stars to compete in Paris

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team features well known athletes and reigning Paralympic champions

Some of the biggest para stars are set to compete at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.

It is the second largest international para competition behind the Paralympic Games.

The championships are the first to be held since 2019, and take place just a year before the 2024 Paralympic Games, which will also be held in the French capital.

Athletes compete according to their functional classifications in each event.

When are the World Para Athletics Championships?

Commonwealth champion Olivia Breen was named as BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year for 2022

The championships start on Saturday 8 July and run through until Monday 17 July.

More than 1,200 athletes from 107 nations are due to compete.

Visually impaired spectators will be offered a low-vision helmet which lets them follow the sporting events in real time using their residual vision.

Who is going to be competing for Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Samantha Kinghorn will co-captain the team, she won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team features lots of big names.

Hannah Cockroft, Aled Sion Davies, Sophie Hahn, Olivia Breen and Jonathan Broom-Edwards are all set to compete.

Samantha Kinghorn and Dan Greaves have been selected as co-captains for the event.

The team also includes nine athletes who will be making their senior debuts at the championships.

Hannah Cockroft

Seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft won two gold medals at the Tokyo Games in 2021

Hannah Cockroft will be looking to defend her T34 100m and 800m titles in Paris.

She will be one of the favourites going into the competition after she broke four world records earlier this year, including a one minute 44.43 seconds 800m.

She says it is something she has dreamt about for years and her "confidence is through the roof after that".

Aled Sion Davies

When it comes to throwing, Aled Sion Davies is up there with the best

Aled Sion Davies also took home gold at the Tokyo Paralympics - that was the third of his career.

He competes in F42 shot put and is unbeaten in the event since the Worlds in 2013.

Last year he was given an OBE in the New Year Honours list for his services to athletics.

Sophie Hahn

Sophie Hahn is the world record holder for T38 100m and 200m

Sophie Hahn is a two time T38 100m Paralympic gold medallist.

She has cerebral palsy which is a condition which affects how the brain communicates with the muscles.

She says she prefers to compete in hotter climates as it helps to relax her muscles.

Hahn was the reigning champion going into the Commonwealth Games last year, but took home silver after being beaten by Olivia Breen in the T37/38 100m.

Olivia Breen

Olivia Breen represented Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Olivia Breen has had success in both sprint and long jump events.

When she beat Sophie Hahn to claim gold in the women's T37/38 100m in Birmingham, she recorded a personal best of 12.83 seconds.

The achievement helped her earn her BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 2022.

Jonathan Broom-Edwards

Jonathan is a motivational speaker as well as an athlete

Jonathan Broom-Edwards won gold at Tokyo Paralympics in the T64 high jump.

He managed to clear a height of 2.10m on his second attempt.

Jonathan was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list for his services to athletics.