Stephens, winner of World Championship gold in the F57 javelin in Christchurch in 2011, will be joined by veteran wheelchair racer Richie Powell at Swansea's Castle Square this coming Saturday (May 10) to celebrate the countdown to Europe's biggest Para-athletics event.

Active Swansea and the Swansea Harriers Athletics Club will be putting on come-and-try sessions for young people on the day to promote the Championships and encourage youngsters to take up sport with local clubs.

Organisers also hope to use the event to encourage people to buy tickets for the Championships which is due to take place from August 18 to 23 at Swansea University International Sports Village.

"Reaching milestones like 100 days to go is always really exciting because the competition is almost here," said Stephens, a disappointing tenth at London 2012.

"All the athletes I speak to are looking forward to it and training is getting more intense and focussed in preparation for the summer.

"The support we're having from in and around Swansea is fantastic and something we're getting used to from home events."

Former world champion Nathan Stephens will be appearing at the special event in Swansea on Saturday to mark 100 days to the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships ©Getty Images



The Championships, which are being delivered in partnership with Swansea Council, Disability Sport Wales, British Athletics, Welsh Athletics and the Welsh Government, are the fourth edition of the event following Assen 2003, Espoo 2005 and Stadskanaal 2012.

Around 600 athletes from 40 countries are expected to descend on the Welsh city later this year where they will be competing for 199 sets of medals.

Last month organisers released 15,000 tickets for the Championships which can be purchased from local outlets around the city and also online by clicking here.

Tickets are priced between £3 ($5/€3.65) to £7 ($11.75/€8.50) for both morning and afternoon sessions at the Swansea University International Sports Village.

British stars Aled Davies, Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and David Weir, all Paralympic and world champions, are set to join the likes of international athletes Marcel Hug from Switzerland, Jason Smyth from Ireland and Marlou Van Rhijn from the Netherlands at the Championships, the first time the event has been held in Britain.

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