WEIR HOPING FOR BRAZILIAN PARA-DISE

NOT three weeks have passed since the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics – yet Brazil is already bracing itself for another global sporting event. On the eve of the Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee announced the Rio 2016 Organising Committee would be making severe financial cutbacks. Essentially they had overspent during the Olympics and not allocated enough cash for Paralympics. And there are real concerns over the quality and quantity of transportation between ROB MAUL venues for athletes, officials and media. Britain is sending 264 competitors to the 15th summer Paralympic Games, which officially open on Wednesday evening.

And like the Team GB Olympic squad, they are expected to achieve record-breaking exploits over the 11 days of competition.

Whether the Brazilian public want – or will – embrace the Paralympics is another question.

The success of London 2012 thrust the event on to the sporting agenda and made national heroes of many British stars.

Wheelchair racer David Weir, 37, won four gold medals four years ago and this time the Londoner will race in five events – T54 400m, 800m, 1500m, 4x400m relay and marathon.

But with the competition having improved over the past cycle a clean sweep is unlikely.

Amputee sprinter Jonnie Peacock, 23 (T44 100m) might be out of form this season but he has shown he is a big-game performer, while wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, 24, is favourite to win a hat-trick of titles.

Dame Sarah Storey only has to win one more gold on her bike – in the velodrome or on the road – to have a record 12 Paralympic titles and become our most decorated female Paralympian.

Britain’s target, set by UK Sport, is at least 121 medals, one more than achieved at London – anything less would be considered a failure.