With less than two weeks to go until the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, a giant set of Paralympic Agitos – the symbol for the Paralympic Games – has been launched outside Cardiff City Hall.

This is the first of five sets of Agitos that will be unveiled before the Games start on 29 August.

The launch was attended by London 2012 Director of Paralympic Integration and nine-time gold medallist Chris Holmes, Executive Director of Disability Sport Wales Jon Morgan, and athletes from the Australian and Papua New Guinea Paralympic teams, who are currently staying at a Pre-Games Training Camp in Cardiff.

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Members of Wheelchair Basketball club Cardiff Celts also attended the event and took part in a sporting demonstration. They included Caroline Matthews, who was part of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball team to compete at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

The 13m-long, 8m-high Agitos will provide a stunning backdrop for Cardiff’s Paralympic Torch Relay celebrations on 22 August. Weighing in at one tonne, they are made entirely of aluminium and have a powder-coat finish in the recognisable red, blue and green colours. Three weeks were spent designing, engineering and fabricating the Agitos.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "I'm thrilled that we are launching the first set of giant Agitos here in Cardiff. Wales has a great history of supporting both grassroot and elite disability sport and I am sure the Agitos will inspire and excite residents, spectators and athletes looking to play their part in the London 2012 Games. We are hugely excited about this incredible summer of sport continuing and welcoming athletes from around the world."

(CD/GK)