Athlete Head to Swimming Championships in Rio

Athletes from around the globe are making their way to newly elected 2016 Paralympic Host City Rio de Janerio, Brazil, for the 2009 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships 25m.

The World Championships will take place from 29 November – 5 December 2009 in the Brazilian city, with over 260 athletes from 31 different countries participating in the IPC’s first Short Course World Championships in Swimming. The event is organized by the RIO2009 Organizing Committee and sanctioned by the Brazilian National Paralympic Committee and the IPC. The mascot for Rio 2009 is Octo, the swimming octopus and will undoubtedly make the Championships even more memorable for all visitors at the event.

Many of the athletes will be coming to their second big competition in less than a month - the first being the 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships in Reykjavik, Iceland, from 18-24 October. A total of 650 athletes and staff from 37 participating countries came to the Nordic country for its first large-scale competition. As the competition finished, Great Britain topped the medal standings, followed by Ukraine, Spain, Russia, Germany, Poland, France, Greece and the Netherlands (tie), and Hungary respectively.

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, Swimming has been one of the main sports of the Paralympics. Competitors measure their skills in Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Medley events. Swimming is governed by the IPC and co-ordinated by the IPC Swimming Sport Technical Committee, which incorporates the rules of the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

For more information about IPC Swimming Rio 2009 World Championships 25m, please visit www.swimmingrio2009.com.br/en.

For more information about IPC Swimming, please visit www.ipc-swimming.org.