Paralympics events sell out for first time

A number of events at the Paralympics were oversubscribed for the first time in its history as the first chance to buy tickets ended last night. Hundreds of thousands of bids for tickets have been made since the application window for the 1.5 million first-phase tickets opened on 9 September.

A spokesman said: "We are very happy with how the application process went. Interest in Paralympic Games tickets has been excellent and we will be running ballots across several sessions – which a year out from the Paralympic Games is unheard of.

"The system remained robust throughout the process and we will now go about processing applications to begin allocating tickets."

Sold-out sessions in track cycling, swimming and the final rounds of wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis are among those that will have to be decided by a random ballot.

More than 4,200 athletes, with a variety of disabilities, from 150 nations will take part in 20 sports.

Star names such as South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius plus British swimmer Ellie Simmonds and wheelchair racer David Weir are big draws. PA