The 2012 London Paralympic Games may still seem like it’s a ways away, but competition for the highly anticipated event is already underway around the world, with late January marking the 2011 International Paralympics Committee World Championships. This year’s event took the stage outside of its usual European comfort zone, debuting south of the equator for the first time, held in Christchurch, New Zealand. Featuring more than 1,000 aspiring paralympians, the IPC World Championships serves not only as one of the premier showcases of Paralympic talent, but as a qualifier for the grandest stage in disability sport.Fans were treated to see some of the biggest stars on display, including Oscar “The Blade Runner” Pistorius, of South Africa, a three time Gold Medalist at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. Taking his nickname from the flat metal prosthetics he wears on both legs. Born without fibula, Pistorious had both legs amputated below the knee at just 11 months old. Taking up running after a knee injury that derailed his wrestling ambitions, Pistorius has built his reputation on succeeding in the face of adversity. Of course, at this point success seems to come as second nature, striking to an early Gold in the World Championships, running away with the 200-meter final.On a team level, arguably the most impressive performance has come from the Chinese athletes, compiling an impressive lead in the medal count. It remains to be seen whether such momentum will carry over to the 2012 Paralympics, though based on 2008, one would expect to see a strong showing. Boasting the home field advantage in 2008, China tallied an astronomical 211 medals, including 89 Gold Medals. By comparison, Great Britain finished second in terms of total medals and golds, with 102 and 42, respectively.