With 75 days to go until the biggest gathering of international para-swimmers since London 2012, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has released a new film featuring some of the biggest names and rivalries to line up at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Headlining the video is Canadian Benoit Huot, who will go head-to-head with Brazil's Andre Brasil this August at the Parc Jean Drapeau Aquatic Complex. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Brasil won three gold and two silver medals, ahead of Huot in both the 100m backstroke and freestyle S10. Huot meanwhile won gold and silver in front of Brasil in the 200m individual medley SM10 and 400m freestyle S10. Huot himself won one of every medal colour in London.
Fellow Canadian Valerie Grand Maison will be looking to chase American Kelly Becherer for the 50m and 100m freestyle S13 wins that Becherer claimed in London. Grand Maison will be looking to capitalise on her own gold-medal performance in the 200m individual medley SM13, where she beat Becherer by almost three seconds.
Brazilian superstar and six-time Paralympic Champion Daniel Dias will also compete in Montreal and has already been in action this season, breaking a world record last week at the German Internationals in Berlin with a time of 1:17.70 as part of his preparations for Montreal. His closest rival heading into the World Championships will be the USA's Roy Perkins.
Whilst Dias cleaned up in London, Perkins was not far behind picking up a silver in the 100m freestyle S5 and 50m butterfly S5 and bronze in both the 50m and 200m freestyle S5.
Australia, Britain, New Zealand, USA and Canada have all announced their teams for the World Championship event which will feature around 650 athletes from 60 countries.
Headlining for Great Britain will be 18-year old poster girl and four-time Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds. Simmonds will be looking to repeat her performance at the last IPC World Championships in Eindhoven three years ago, where she dominated by picking up three wins at just 14 years of age.
The English version of the video can be viewed at http://www.paralympic.org/video/watch-live-2013-ipc-swimming-world-championships-montreal
The French version of the video can be viewed at http://www.paralympic.org/video/regardez-en-webdiffusion-2013-championats-du-monde-de-natation-ipc-montreal
The 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships will be held from 12-18 August at the Parc Jean Drapeau complex in Montreal. Tickets will be on sale shortly.
For more information contact: Lucy Dominy, IPC Public Relations and Campaigns Manager on e-mail: lucy.dominy@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-159. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org or www.ParalympicSport.TV.
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