The 29-year-old three-time Paralympian (pictured top), who secured gold in the T42 100 metres at London 2012, and the professor, now working at the Institute for Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University Cologne, will take part in a roundtable discussion at the event in Bonn.

IPC Sports Science Committee chair Dr Yves Vanlandewijk, Dutch sitting volleyball player Elvira Stinissen and IPC director of media and communications Craig Spence will also join the Opening Ceremony, which will begin with a discussion of the men's 200m T44 race at London 2012 and the topic of blade length and technology.

The panel sets the tone of VISTA2013, which will focus on topics related to equipment and technology in Paralympic sports and will touch on issues that made global headlines at the last summer's Games.

"Equipment and technology in Paralympic sport is the challenging and main theme of the VISTA2013 conference," Vanlandewijk said.

"I am expecting exciting debate on equipment optimisation, technical boosting, injury prevention and other performance related aspects of Paralympic sports."


The opening discussion will also debate the running style of double-leg amputees and whether they should run against single-leg amputees, as well as including a dialogue on the long jump for athletes with or without prosthesis.

The final two topics of the night will be about equipment and technology in winter sports, and how to ensure the expense of technology and equipment is not limiting the development of Parasports in certain countries.

The Opening Ceremony will conclude with a brief question and answer session with the audience.

VISTA2013, which provides a platform for sport scientists to meet with experts in the field of sport for athletes with an impairment, will run until Saturday (May 4).

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