Just 100 Days to go until IPC Swimming European Championships

There are just 100 days to go (25 March 2011) until the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships in Berlin, Germany which get underway on Sunday 3 July 2011.

More than 500 swimmers from 40 countries are expected in the German capital for the eight day long event which will be one of the last major gatherings before the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Amongst the swimmers set to compete for the 180 plus gold medals are likely to be World record holders, Paralympic gold medalists and World Champions.

Ukraine’s Maksym Veraska, the fastest Para-Swimmer in the world and three-time Paralympic gold medal winner in Beijing will be in Berlin as will the fastest female swimmer in the world Russia’s Oxana Savchenko.

After claiming three gold medals in Beijing and taking four world titles at last year’s IPC Swimming World Championships, Savchenko will be confident of adding to her medal collection.

Great Britain, the host nation of London 2012, will also be well represented in Berlin. Eleanor Simmonds, who was just 13 when she claimed two Paralympic gold medals in 2008, is in their team together with Liz Johnson, the Paralympic Games champion over 100m Breaststroke.

The event will take place at Berlin’s Europasportpark, a venue which has already hosted multiple aquatic events, including the International Open German Swimming Championships in previous years.