Back at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics Games, Australia were the dominant force and destroyed the competition in front of their home crowd as they finished at the top of the medal table.

However, the rest of the world has since caught them up as they finished fifth at both the Athens 2004 Paralympics and Beijing 2008 Games.

A top five finish will again be their goal with China, Britain and the United States likely to make up the top three but Hellwig said such a target will be difficult to obtain.

"It's going to come down to a very small number of medals whether we get there or whether we're 10th or 11th," said Hellwig, who will also be the Australian Chef de Mission at the London 2012 Paralympics.

"It is getting harder.

"There are a huge number of countries around the world now who are very, very serious about Paralympic sport.

"It's hot property but it's made it much more difficult.

"There will be performances in sports like swimming and athletics that would have won medals in Beijing that may not make finals in London."

The APC published an analysis of the 2012 Paralympics earlier this year that showed exactly why they are worrying.

China with 50 gold medals, Great Britain 49, Russia 37 and the United States 34 will comfortably make up the top four but Brazil with 24, Ukraine 23, Germany 23 and France 19 all threaten to keep Australia with 23 outside the top five.

However, a recent and much-needed injection of $300,000 ($314,760/£193,290) in federal funding went straight to sports such as table tennis and equestrian, not traditionally gold producing sports for Australia, but those whose chances will be bigger come London.


Major Australian medal hope will still rest on the likes of wheelchair racing star Kurt Fearnley (pictured) but Hellwig feels the team do have an ace up their sleeves in the form of their London 2012 holding camp, which will see eight sports being based in Cardiff in the month leading up to Games.

"It's the first time we've done it, and we've been working on this for five years," he said.

"It gives the opportunity for us to build that one multi-sport culture earlier, rather than relying on that to happen as you go into a village and there's that sort of scramble to be ready on day one.

"In a competition where we know a small number of medals are going to make a difference, we think it's going to be advantageous."

Australia expects to take around 305 Paralympics athletes to London, making it the country's biggest ever away team.

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