Marlou van Rhijn will hope to defend her T43 100m and 200m titles at the Championships ©Getty Images

Marlou van Rhijn will lead The Netherlands’ challenge for medals at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships after Dutch Athletics revealed their 18-member squad.

The 23-year-old will aim to retain her world titles in the T43 100m and 200m events at the Championships, which are due to be held in Qatar’s capital city Doha from October 21-31.

Van Rhijn is one of 12 women in the Dutch squad and she will be joined by fellow pace-star Fleur Jong in the T43 sprint events while Amy Siemons, Nienke Timmer, Desirre Vraken and Marleen Van Ganserwinel will also appear in sprint races.

Margriet van den Broek is due to be one of the busiest members of the Dutch team as she is due to take part in the T54 100m, 200m 400m, 800m and 5000m events during the Championships, while the remaining women’s track athletes are Marianne Verdonk and Shirley Kekhove, who are due to take part in the T20 400m and 800m races respectively.

Iris Pruysen is due to compete in the women’s T44 long jump event and she will be joined by fellow field athletes Lara Baars and Ingrid van Kranen, who will be The Netherlands’ representatives in the F40 shot put and F11 discus competitions.

It is due to be The Netherlands’ biggest ever team for a IPC Athletics World Championships and Kenny van Weeghel and Ronald Hertog will be expected to be in the hunt for medals in the 12,000 capacity Qatar Sports Club Suhaim Bin Hamam stadium.

Kenny Van Weeghel is expected to be another Dutch medal prospect in Doha
Kenny Van Weeghel is expected to be another Dutch medal prospect in Doha ©Getty Images

Van Weeghel will look to defend his titles in the men’s T54 100m and 200m events while Hertog is aiming to upgrade from the silver he won at the 2013 Championships in Lyon, France, in the T44 long jump.

The men’s side of the squad is completed by T34 and T37 sprinters Stefan Rusch and Jelmar Bos, as well as T20 long jumper Rankin Oberoi and T42 high jumper Jeroen Teeuwen.

Around 1,000 athletes from 100 countries are expected to be competing at the Championships.



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