Beijing benefited from it. Rio de Janeiro is eager to do it. And now Miramar is poised to carve its own small piece of the Olympics pie as host of the U.S. Paralympics National Track and Field Championships in June 2010.

Miramar commissioners must first approve an agreement to host the event in the city's Ansin Sports Complex, which they will consider at a meeting Wednesday night.

But already city leaders anticipate a major public relations boost, and some economic benefit from visiting athletes, coaches and fans.

``We've never had anything of this magnitude here in our city,'' said Vice Mayor Troy Samuels, who credits a state-of-the-art track for bringing the games to Miramar.

The track and field championships, scheduled for June 15-20, are the sole qualifying event for the 2011 International Paralympic Committee Athletic World Championships in New Zealand.

Paralympic athletes will compete in track, throwing, jumping, a pentathlon and a marathon.

The rules of Paralympic track and field are almost identical to those of its nondisabled counterpart, though allowances are made for certain disabilities. For instance, blind and visually impaired runners compete with guides, who are tethered to the runner.

The track and field competition is open to male and female athletes with physical disabilities such as dwarfism, amputation or limb loss, blindness or visual impairment, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, brain injury and those who use wheelchairs.

Miramar's Super-X Mondo track, made of biochemically tuned and environmentally friendly double-layered rubber, is the crown jewel of the Ansin Sports Complex -- a 24-acre, $15 million park that opened in February at 10801 Miramar Blvd.

``It's one of eight such tracks in the nation,'' Samuels said, ``and only two in the state of Florida.''

Installation of the track was completed with help from Ato Boldon, a 1996 and 2000 Olympic sprinter from Trinidad who now operates his Born 2 Do It athletic foundation in the complex.

Officials estimate hosting the competition will cost $78,700, including meals and lodging for Olympic Committee officials, security and marketing. They propose paying for it through sponsorships, concession sales, athlete registration and parking fees.

Representatives for the U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, did not return calls for comment on Tuesday.

It is unclear how many athletes will compete in the track and field meet, or how many visitors are expected. Ansin center bleachers seat 2,100, but the facility has room to accommodate 7,000 spectators.

According to the resolution, past Paralympics championships have generated ``more than $500,000in economic impact dollars'' for the host city.

Samuels said money is not the motive, though.

``It's the recognition for our city for these types of events,'' he said.

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