4 May 2014

Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir (coach: Jenny Archer) will go head-to-head with Marcel Hug at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Notwill, Switzerland on 16-18 May.

Weir, who famously triumphed in London winning four gold medals missed last year’s IPC World Championships, but is now focussed on renewing one of the biggest rivalries in the sport when he takes on the seven-time world champion in his backyard later this month.

The 34 year old said: "Marcel races really well, but at the end of the day I’ve raced him a few times – he’s beaten me, I’ve beaten him – he beat me in Lisbon, so we are battling again.

"I don’t think I have a point to prove against him though. I think I proved a point in London, and any other Championship I’ve been to I’ve proved a point that I’m still good at championship racing.”

Weir finished behind Hug at the Lisbon Half Marathon and the London Marathon this year after winning the first match up in Sydney in January, and believes that the 28 year old Swiss athlete nicknamed the ‘Silver Bullet’ is coming into the form of his life.  

"It just depends if he can do it on the day, and he’s capable of doing anything on the day so he’s definitely the one to watch this year. He’s improving every time and he’s getting to that point when I think he’s peaking in his career," he said.

The duo will go head-to-head over 800m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m and Weir believes that his time out in 2013 has reinvigorated his passion for the sport and desire to remain at the top.

"I knew that would happen and it wasn’t a shock really. I didn’t want to push myself in training because the years leading up to London I pushed myself in every training session, and physically and mentally I was drained,” explained Weir, one of Britain’s most decorated athletes.

"The break made me get my hunger back. I always had a date that I would go back to full training and make sure I was fit for 2014, 2015 and even up to Rio 2016.”

After being one the biggest medal contributors in recent years at major championships, ‘The Weirwolf’ admitted that it was a positive decision to take a back seat from the IPC World Championships, as he witnessed GB & NI collect 29 medals in Lyon.

"It was a good decision by me and my coach to not focus on too much last year.  It was just nice to put on the television and watch the racing, to watch other people race, and other events that I don’t usually get to see.

"It was nice to see the British team do well without me, to get some medals without me having the pressure of thinking I’ve got to win some medals for the team."

For further information about the IPC Athletics Grand Prix, please visit: http://www.paralympic.org/2014-ipc-athletics-grand-prix.