About Para swimming

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Luis Armando Andrade Guillen of Mexico

Luis Armando Andrade Guillen of Mexico trains in the warm up pool during the Paralympic Swimming Tournament - Aquece Rio Test Event for the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

ⒸBuda Mendes/Getty Images

Luis Armando Andrade Guillen of Mexico trains in the warm up pool during the Paralympic Swimming Tournament - Aquece Rio Test Event for the Rio 2016 Paralympics. © • Buda Mendes/Getty Images

The 2017 Para Sport Festival will feature both the World Para Powerlifting Championships and World Para Swimming Championships.

Two of the biggest Para sport competitions will be held together for the first time in history in Mexico City from 2-8 December.

The Francisco Marquez Olympic Swimming Pool is located in the same building as the powerlifting competitions, allowing fans and the media to experience both events and enjoy the festival of Para sport.

It will be the first major competition after the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and the start of the new Paralympic cycle for Tokyo 2020.

The competition pool

The Francisco Márquez Olympic Swimming Pool is an indoor swimming pool with a capacity of 4,300 spectators.

It hosted swimming, diving, water polo, and the swimming leg of modern pentathlon at the 1968 Olympic Games.

The only Mexican gold medal in Olympic swimming was won in the pool. Felipe Muñoz stormed to gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke just a few blocks from where he grew up.

The venue is being fully upgraded to host the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships, helping to leave a legacy behind in the city.

History of the World Para Swimming Championships

Mexico 2017 will be the eight edition of the World Para Swimming Championships, and the first to take place alongside another major Para sport event with the World Para Powerlifting Championships happening at the same time.

2015 - Glasgow, Great Britain

The 2015 edition of the World Championships were held in the year after the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Featuring over 580 athletes from nearly 70 countries, swimmers came determined to put in their best performances ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

At the end of Glasgow 2015, Russia finished with 32 golds, 19 silver and 20 bronze. Ukraine took second with 21 golds, 27 silver and 15 bronze. The USA secured third place with 11 golds, 11 silver and eight bronze.

Thirty eight world records were set, with stand-out performances from Brazil’s Daniel Dias who won seven gold medals in seven days.

Belarusian multiple world and Paralympic champion Ihar Boki claimed an incredible five world records and six golds.

2013 – Montreal, Canada

The 2013 IPC Swimming Championships closed with 43 new world records set and 172 gold medals awarded between the 12-18 August. Nearly 480 athletes from 53 countries competed at the Championships, in what was the biggest gathering of international swimmers since London 2012 and the first event of its kind in North America.

Thirty-nine countries won at least one medal, over half of the entire number of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) that fielded teams. Ukraine topped the medals table with Russia second and Great Britain third.

2010 – Eindhoven, the Netherlands

Between 15 and 21 August, 649 athletes from 53 countries took part in the biggest IPC Swimming World Championships to date. During six days of competition, the Pieter van den Hoogenband stadium hosted 181 medal events.

Ukraine topped the medals table with 58 medals, including 20 golds, whilst USA and Russia finished second and third respectively.

2006 – Durban, South Africa

After winning 52 medals including 24 golds, Great Britain topped the medals table with USA in second and Ukraine third. A total of 549 athletes from 49 countries took part in the final major event before the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.

The USA’s Jessica Long and China’s Wang Xiaofu (China) were the leading athletes of the each smashing five world records.

2002 – Mar del Plata, Argentina

More than 50 world records were broken and many personal bests set at the 2002 IPC Swimming World Championships. A total of 574 participants from 53 nations took part in the competition from 6 to 17 December. One highlight was the first IPC Open Water World Championships, which were carried out in the Atlantic Ocean. The final medal tally was topped by Great Britain with 32 gold, 23 silver and 21 bronze. Canada was second and China third.

1998 – Christchurch, New Zealand

From 7 to 17 October, more than 450 athletes from 51 countries took part in the 1998 IPC Swimming World Championships. Canada topped the medals table with 25 golds, though Great Britain claimed the most medals overall with 58. Australia finished third in the medals tally with 13 golds and 47 total medals.

1994 – Valletta, Malta

Nearly 500 athletes from 44 countries took part in the 1994 IPC Swimming World Championships.