Australia will send a 43-strong athletics team to the London Paralympics, with all eyes on Kurt Fearnley to secure a golden marathon hat-trick.
Wheelchair racing legend Kurt Fearnley is expected to set the standard for Australia's Paralympic athletics team as he prepares for a record third consecutive marathon win in London.
The six-time world champion headlines the athletics team for London, which is made up of 36 athletes, with another seven to be confirmed by the end of the month.
The formal team announcement was made on Wednesday at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, where the group is attending their final training camp before fly to London.
Australian Paralympic Committee chief executive Jason Hellwig said Fearnley's ambitious three-peat will elicit the most excitement at home.
"He's a really important part of the team and it's an event that has a lot of significance for him and Australia," said Hellwig.
"Every sport has its big names and Kurt is great for us, but the best thing he does and most important thing he does is he performs.
"Others look at the standard he sets and he's an immediate marker for them to go after so, yes, there's the PR side of it which is great, but the most important thing is that he's there for the team."
Four years ago at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Fearnley endured a troubled campaign, marred by disqualifications, crashes and appeals in his four previous races before the marathon.
But he backed up to win gold just 12 hours after competing in the 1500m, to finish with a total of one gold, two silvers and a bronze.
Hellwig said the team had set themselves up for another successful Paralympic campaign.
"One reason we feel so optimistic - albeit cautiously - is that the young athletes that are coming through are really exciting prospects," he told AAP from Brisbane.
"We don't expect gold medals like someone from Rheed (McCracken - the team's youngest member at 15) but it's about building for our future as well as the Games that are right in front of you."
It is a particularly young team for this Paralympics, with 22 of the 36 athletes aged under 25 and half making their Paralympic debut in London.
Winter Paralympic medallist Jessica Gallagher will officially compete at her first summer Games after being ruled out at the last minute in Beijing because she was classed as not blind enough.
She's set her goal to become the first Australian to medal at both a summer and winter Paralympics.
Sprinter Evan O'Hanlon is again an unbackable favourite to take out the 100m after breaking his own world record earlier this year, while long jump world champion Kelly Cartwright is another firm gold medal chance.
The London Paralympics run for 12 days starting on August 29.
