With 101 days to go until the Championships begin, double Paralympic T42 200 metres gold medallist Richard Whitehead was joined by fellow Paralympian Sam Ruddock and former Olympic champion Sally Gunnell for the launch of the partnership at The Orbit on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

More than 3,000 athletes spanning 200 nations are set to compete at the World Para Athletics Championships, scheduled for July 14 to 23, at the Olympic Stadium in London.

They will be followed by the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships the following month at the same stadium. 

During the Championships, the Co-op will supply food to the competition's athletes and volunteers.

“It is fantastic to have the support of the Co-op as we build-up to the biggest World Para Athletics Championships ever," said Whitehead.

"After the team’s success in Rio, there is a real buzz amongst the athletes and we all cannot wait to compete in front of our home fans at the London Stadium.

“I personally have wonderful memories from the Paralympic Games at London 2012, particularly the support we received from the great British public."

The Co-op marked the partnerships by launching a Support our Heroes mosaic for the British Para Athletics team.

The image which includes Ruddock, Whitehead and Carly Tait, who also competed at Rio 2016, will be used as a digital picture for the public to upload their messages of support in the build-up and throughout the championships.

The mosaic was officially unveiled today by Gunnell, the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games women's 400m hurdles champion, and will act as one of a number of support activities the Co-op will be carrying out.

“Having supported our colleague, Paralympian Carly Tait in Rio, and witnessed the huge support for her across the Co-op, it was a natural step to extend our support and involvement to this year’s London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships," commented Peter Batt, the divisional managing director of the Co-operative Group.

"We really want to encourage the British Public to get behind our athletes so I hope everyone will join us by uploading personal messages and pictures of support on our digital message board, the ‘Support our Heroes’ mosaic - which has been launched today.”