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Funchal 2016: Action to check out on day one
With 22 gold medals up for grabs, the opening day in Funchal, Portugal, will provide a thrilling start to the swimming European Championships. 30 Apr 2016
Sarai Garcon competes in the Women's 200m Individual Medley SM9 at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.
The 2016 IPC Swimming European Open Championships will begin in Funchal, Portugal, on Sunday (1 May) with 22 thrilling races.
Two of Portugal’s best male swimmers, David Grachat and Emanuel Goncalves, will get their campaigns underway, whilst Brazil’s multiple Paralympic and world champion Andre Brasil will also compete.
Spain’s European champion Sarai Gascon will compete whilst Canada’s world champion Aurelie Rivard is also the hot favourite in the women’s S10.
All events are being shown live at the Funchal 2016 website.
Men’s and women’s 400m freestyle S10
Canadian teenager Rivard, 19, enjoyed a fantastic year in 2015 winning her first world title. Rivard beat French Paralympic champion Elodi Lorandi to claim the gold. This race will be a chance for both swimmers to assess each other’s form.
In the men’s event, Brasil will take to the pool in one of his least favourite events against local swimmer Goncalves.
Women’s 50m freestyle S9
As the title holder and world champion, Gascon will be looking for a good start to her Euros campaign.
However at the last edition in 2014, Great Britain’s Amy Marren and Russia’s Natalia Mamlina pushed her to equal the world record at the time. Incredibly, both women left with silver medals after they finished in a dead heat.
Men’s 200m freestyle S14
Iceland’s Jon Margeir Sverrisson is the Paralympic and European champion in this event.
However in the last 12 months, Russia’s Viacheslav Emeliantsev has emerged as a serious contender in the men’s S14 winning three world titles. With Dutch multiple Paralympic champion Marc Evers also starting, this event is sure to be one of the most exciting on the day.
Men’s 100m butterfly S13
Belarus’ five-time Paralympic gold medallist, Ihar Boki, left the 2015 World Championships with the title and world record, under his belt.
He will get the major competition underway in Funchal as he attempts to win seven European titles.
Morning sessions start at 9:00am (WET) each day, whilst the evening sessions get underway at 5:00pm.
Live updates and behind the scenes content will be posted to @IPCSwimming and IPC Swimming’s Facebook.
