DORCHESTER Paralympian Paul Blake is hoping to add to his impressive medal tally at the upcoming IPC World Championships in Dubai.

Blake, 29, will travel to the United Arab Emirates in search of an eighth World Championship medal having already collected three golds and four silvers.

Blake, the reigning Olympic champion in the T36 400m, will compete at that distance and the 800m – the final of which takes place on Thursday, November 7.

However, the cerebral palsy sufferer, who will compete in his fifth Worlds, is cautious to avoid building his hopes up too high as he takes to the track for Team GB.

He told Echosport: “I’m really pleased with being selected and hopefully I can do my family proud. I’m really looking forward to it, it should be good fun.

“It’s just getting through the rounds, seeing what I produce and not having too much expectation on myself.

“It’s just going out there and executing the race how I should and how I’m capable of doing.

“We’ll see, I don’t want to pin my hopes on a medal just yet, but that’s what I’m going out there for.

“I’m not going out there to lose, I’m going out there to get a medal, so hopefully I come back with something.”

For Blake, there could be more at stake than medals, with the possible threat of a cut in funding should he under-perform in Dubai.

He said: “I haven’t had a medal in a few years, so I’d like to get one back. I’m doing the 400 and the 800 this year, but unfortunately the eight isn’t in the Tokyo (Olympics) program.

“If I medal in that yes, it would be fantastic, but it’s not in the Tokyo program so there’s no funding for the following year.

“If I don’t medal in the four, they’ll cut me from the funding so I kind of need to medal in both. It’s a pressured run and I’ve never been under that pressure, so it’s going to be exciting.”

Playing a large role in his selection for the Worlds is Blake’s decision to follow coach Rob Ellchuk to Winnipeg, Canada.

“I’ve been out here since June,” Blake revealed. “Since my coach based himself back in Canada I thought I’d follow him because it wasn’t working in Bath.

“It just changed the training up and it’s been a good move because training’s going really well.

“I’ve been training solidly for three or four months. It’s hard, but good fun.”