Is Germany's Felix Streng the surprise package of 2014?

Having taken up para-athletics just 18 months ago and only recently finishing school, Germany's Felix Streng is emerging as one of the surprise packages of the 2014 season and a potential rival to Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock at August's European Championships in Swansea, Great Britain.

The 19-year-old T44 sprinter made a name for himself at May's IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Grosseto, Italy, by winning the 200m T44 in 22.37 seconds, beating a strong field which included the USA's world champion and world record holder Jarryd Wallace and South Africa's Arnu Fourie.

In the 100m he finished third, just 0.15 seconds behind Paralympic bronze medallist Fourie, but ahead of his teammate and training partner Markus Rehm.

For now Streng is enjoying his debut season on the senior circuit.

"I'm really good about the season," said Streng who won 100m and 200m world junior titles last year. "I only just finished school, so I was training alongside my school work which took quite a lot of energy.

"Now I've finished school, I can fully focus on my athletics and trying to make the European Championships where I really want to compete.

"This is just the start of the season and I'm doing really well."

This weekend (20-22 June) Streng will compete at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Berlin, Germany, in the 100m, 200m and long jump, hoping to put on another strong show that will put him in contention to make the national team for Swansea 2014.

"I only started athletics one and a half years ago so I'm still in the development team," he explained.

"If I am going to make it to the European Championships this year then they will pick me for the A-team and that will be great. I'm really looking forward to joining that team with all the big guys."

Streng's performances this season have won him a lot of praise from teammates and international rivals and it is they who believe that the 200m T44 European record holder will not just make the German team, but also be a medal contender in Swansea.

"It's an honour if other people see it like that," he said modestly. "For now I just want to enjoy. I like to compete, I like to travel and I think it's great and don't feel any pressure."

As part of the Leverkusen athletics club in Germany, Streng is training alongside world and Paralympic champions such as Heinrich Popow and Markus Rehm. Although optimistic of making Swansea 2014, he says it is too early to dream about winning medals.

"I competed last year at the world juniors and I enjoyed it greatly. It was in Puerto Rico and it was a great atmosphere.

"Now I'm looking to compete with the big guys in my first big competition.

"I don't want to think about it [winning medals in Swansea]. I just want to keep focussed, keep training, have fun and we'll see at the end.

"My goals this year are to go faster, go faster, go faster and jump further," added Streng.

Felix Streng will be one of more than 570 athletes from 34 countries competing at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Berlin, Germany, between 20 and 22 June. Other big names to feature include the Netherlands' Marlou van Rhijn, Great Britain's Richard Whitehead, Brazil's Terezinha Guilhermina and Finland's Leo Pekka Tahti.

The event in Berlin is supported by Allianz, IPC Athletics' international partner and will be streamed live via www.idm-leichtathletik.de

For all the latest information on the event please visit http://idm-leichtathletik.de/en/.

For more information contact: Lucy Dominy, IPC Public Relations and Campaigns Manager on e-mail: lucy.dominy@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-159.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only