Brazilians set to shine at home swimming World Series

Multiple world and Paralympic champions Daniel Dias and Andre Brasil are amongst a series of Brazilian athletes who will get their season underway from Friday (21 April), at their home World Para Swimming World Series in Sao Paulo.

Dias, who added four Paralympic golds to his collection at Rio 2016, returns to the pool in the men’s S5 and SB4. He begins his road to September’s World Championships in Mexico City, where he will try to defend six titles.

Men’s S10 swimmer Brasil is also looking to qualify for Mexico City 2017. Two years ago in Glasgow, Great Britain, he won golds in the 50m and 100m freestyle as well as the 100m backstroke. Brasil then left his home Paralympics with four medals.

His main competitor in Sao Paulo will be teammate Phelipe Rodrigues who returns following an impressive Paralympic Games performance in 2016. The 26-year-old collected medals in all four of his individual and relay events, including silver in the 50m freestyle whilst defending champion Brasil finished off the podium.

A series of other Brazilian Rio 2016 medallists are set to compete in Sao Paulo.

Carlos Farrenberg in the men’s S13, rising star Talisson Glock in the men’s S6, Italo Pereira in the men’s S7 and Matheus Sousa in the men’s S11 all grabbed top three finishes for their country.

In the women’s, world champion Joana Maria Silva is preparing to avenge her loss in the 50m freestyle S5 in 2017. At Rio 2016 Silva set an Americas record in the final but was just edged into silver by China’s Li Zhang.

Edenia Garcia will represent Brazil in the women’s 50m backstroke S4 as the Worlds bronze medallist.

The Brazilians will also be focusing on the relays, especially the 4x50m freestyle 20 points, 4 x100m freestyle 34 points and 4x100m medley 34 points, which they took two silvers and a bronze respectively in at Rio 2016.

Swimmers from Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Canada and Peru have made the journey to Sao Paulo.

Colombia’s Diego Cuesta, the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle Parapan American Games champion from Toronto 2015, is a face to watch in the men’s S12.

Up-and-coming 19-year-old Argentinian Facundo Arregui was one of the stars of the Buenos Aires 2013 Youth Para Pan American Games, bagging multiple titles. He went on to win gold in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 with a Games record in Toronto.

Another teenage talent, Chile’s Valentina Munoz, is fresh from a stunning performance from March’s Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapans. At the age of 15, Munoz took two golds and two silvers in the women’s S8 and SB8.

Action gets underway at the Sao Paulo 2017 World Series on Friday with the first heats. Finals will then take place on Saturday (22 April) and Sunday (23 April).

All races will be run as multi-class heats and finals at the Brazilian Paralympic Training Centre. The event doubles as the 2017 Loterias Caixa Swimming Open Championships.

A full schedule and more information can be found at World Para Swimming’s website: https://www.paralympic.org/swimming/world-series-2017/sao-paulo

Live updates will be posted to Facebook.com/paraswimming, Twitter (@Para_swimming) and Instagram (@paraswimming).

The World Series takes in some of the biggest Para swimming competitions around the world ahead of the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City, from 30 September-6 October.

Sheffield, Great Britain; Indianapolis, USA; and Berlin, Germany, will host events between April-July.