Eindhoven 2014 swimming Euros to begin

The 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships will start from Monday (4 August), featuring 380 athletes from 37 countries in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. 03 Aug 2014

A picture of man ready for the start of his swimming race

Marc Evers gets set for the men's 100m backstroke S14 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

ⒸGetty Images

By IPC

Amongst those lining up from 4-10 August are the 16-strong host team.

The 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships will start on Monday (4 August) with 380 swimmers from 37 countries competing with just two years to go until the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The competition in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is an important stop for athletes on their road to Rio and will feature multiple Paralympic, world and European champions.

All morning and evening sessions will be streamed live on www.ParalympicSport.TV.

Amongst those lining up from 4-10 August are the 16-strong host team. The group is headlined by 23-year-old London 2012 Paralympic and European champion Marc Evers heading out in his favourite men’s 100m backstroke S14 event. Four-time world and reigning European champion Marlou van der Kulk goes in the women’s S14 races.

One of the most compelling showdowns will take place between Norwegian seven-time world champion Sarah Louise Rung and Spain’s returning six-time Paralympic champion Teresa Perales in the women’s S5 classification. Perales is back in the pool after illness kept her out of action in 2013, and has already posted a time which is just 0.19 seconds away from Rung’s personal best in the 50m backstroke.

After topping the medals table at the 2013 Worlds in Montreal, Canada, with 84 medals, Ukraine are once again seeking to steal the show.

Their most prolific athletes include European champion Dmytro Vynohradets, who picked up an incredible six individual world titles in 2013, winning all but one of his S3 races. On the women’s side that was almost equalled by his teammate Olga Sviderska who won five golds to add to her three European wins in the S3 classification.

Eindhoven 2014 will also feature the return of Malta to a European Championships, who, since hosting the first ever IPC Swimming European Championships in 1994, have not entered a team.

There will be several other wildcard entries in order to secure the ongoing development of para-swimming within countries, including athletes from Serbia and Czech Republic.

Day one of the competition (4 August) will feature an appearance from Dutch ex-wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer. Arguably one of the greatest players of all time, the four-time Paralympic and 44-time Grand Slam winner will present medals and attend the Opening Ceremony.

Tickets are still available at www.eindhoven2014.com, as well as high quality photos of the event.

All morning and evening sessions will be livestreamed at www.ParalympicSport.TV and live results will be available at the event website.

Live updates will be posted to IPC Swimming's Facebook and Twitter or search #Eindhoven2014.