Lakatos, favourite in both the T53 100 metres and 200m races, will compete on home soil at a major competition for the first time during the Games, which are due to begin on Friday (August 7) and conclude on August 15.

The 35-year-old, who dominated the T53 sprint races at the 2013 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Lyon, claiming four gold medals, claims his country can look to learn from the success of Paralympic sport in Britain following London 2012.

“I'm really excited about the opportunity for Canada,” he said.

“You look at the London legacy and the Anniversary Games - they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the Paralympics, and the focus on Para-athletes that Great Britain now has.

“I hope that Canadian athletes do well, and the fans really get in to it, and Canada gets behind their Para-athletes.

“Then we will have a generation from Canada with young kids excited about it.

“Canada doesn't host so many international events - this is something that Toronto got really excited about and the country really liked, so hopefully the Parapan Games can build on that and move the Paralympic movement forward also."

The Canadian Paralympic veteran, the current top-ranked athlete in the T53 100m and 200m, will again bid for another four titles during the Parapan American Games and claims he is “more excited” for the event in Canada than the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, due to take take place in October.

“It's not a warm up for Doha - I'm treating this as a World Championships during the summer: the Parapan Games are their own thing, it's going to be amazing,” the three-times Paralympic silver medallist added.

“I know I'm more excited about [the Parapan Games] than the World Championships - I'm much more excited to go and compete in Toronto in a Canadian stadium.

“My family and friends are going to be there, my extended family, my cousins and my aunts and uncles, as well as lot of people I've known just from competing in Canada at local meets.”

The Parapan American Games in Toronto will attract over 1,600 athletes in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues across the city.

The track and field competition is set to feature 377 athletes who will compete in 145 medal events from August 10 to 14.

Tickets for the Parapan American Games are still available and can be purchased by clicking here.

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