A grant of €20 million has been awarded by the Austrian Ministry of Sports ©Austrian Paralympic Committee

A total of 15 Austrian athletes are set to benefit from a €20 million (£15 million/$21 million) investiment grant awarded by the Ministry of Sports ahead of this year's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The figure represents a significant boost on the €5 million (£3.75 million/$5.25 million) of funding provided annually since 2013 and marks the first time Paralympic athletes in Austria have received full support.

The majority of the 70 athletes to be supported under the "Project RIO" scheme are Olympians, the importance with which the Paralympics are regarded was cited by Sports Minister, Gerald Klug.

"The Austrian team for Rio should get what they need for their best preparation, and the last results show us that the direction is the right one," he said.

"It goes without saying that in government’s elite sport funding all athletes are equal - as well as in the Project RIO.

“Our Paralympic athletes are important role models.

"Therefore, they are fully integrated into the Rio campaign so that the public gets to know them."

Runner Günther Matzinger won two of Austria's three golds at London 2012, and has already been selected for Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
Middle-distance runner Günther Matzinger won two of Austria's three Paralympic gold medals at London 2012 and has already been selected for Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

The 15 include both of Austria's medal winners at London 2012: hand-cyclist Walter Ablinger and runner Günther Matzinger, who claimed both the 400 and 800 metres T46 titles.

Matzinger has also competed in able-bodied events, including at last year's European Games in Baku when he dropped the baton in the 4x400m relay, costing Austria the overall athletics team gold medal. 

Table tennis players Doris Mader and Stanislaw Fraczyk, winners of singles silver medals in London, are also selected for Project RIO, along with javelin bronze medallist Natalija Eder.

Another athlete chosen is London 2012 bronze medal winner, dressage rider Pepo Puch, who previously competed at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games for Croatia.

Canoeist Markus Swoboda and sailor Sven Reiger are others in the team along with athletes Thomas Geierspichler, the Beijing 2008 T52 marathon champion, and F11 javelin world record holder Bil Marinkovic.

Also chosen are cyclists Wolfgang Eibeck, Thomas Frühwirth and Wolfgang Schattauer and swimmers Andreas Onea and Sabine Weber-Treiber.

“For the first time our Paralympic athletes are fully supported," added Maria Rauch-Kallat, President of the Austrian Paralympic Committee.

"Both athletically and financially.”