Brazilian Open Starts Wednesday

Starting Wednesday (12 October) and lasting until 15 October, more than 200 athletes from 10 countries will be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, competing at the Brazilian Swimming Open Championship.

Distributing more than €40,000 in prize money, one of the highest on the circuit, the event is expected to be a good indicator of form ahead of November’s Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games in Mexico.

“Since it’s the last competition before the Parapan, the teams are almost the same that will be in Mexico, which guarantees a high level of competition. Besides, the prizes motivate the athletes,” said Murito Barreto, Brazil’s team technical co-ordinator.

Big names set to compete in Rio include homegrown stars such as multi Paralympic champions Daniel Dias and Andre Brasil, Great Britain’s Paralympic champion Liz Johnson and the USA’s 15-time world and 7-time Paralympic gold medal winner Jessica Long.