Kazakhstan, Iceland reveal Rio 2016 teams

The National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Kazakhstan and Iceland have named the athlete who will compete for their respective nations at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Kazakhstan will send 10 athletes, with swimmer Zulfiya Gabidullina among the headliners. Gabidullina will make her second Paralympic Games appearance. At London 2012, she did not make it out of the early heats, competing only in the women’s 50m backstroke S4. But her form appears to be coming together, taking two bronze medals at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships. She also took double golds in May’s European Open Championships in Funchal, Portugal, setting a world record in the 50m freestyle and also winning the 100m freestyle.

Swimmer Anuar Akhmetov will also return for his second Paralympics. After experiences at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 European Open Championships, the 23-year-old youngster will go for his first major medal in Rio.

Joining them is archer Alexander Medvedev, who will compete in the men’s compound, along with judoka Anuar Sariyev, ranked fifth in the men’s -60kg.

Below is the complete list of Kazakhstani athletes competing at Rio 2016:

Roman Agalakov, swimming

Natalya Zvyagintseva, swimming

Zulfiya Gabidullina, swimming

Anuar Akhmetov, swimming

Vadim Dukart, powerlifting

Raushan Koyshibayeva, powerlifting

Gulbanu Abdykhalykova, powerlifting

Amanat Kalkayev, athletics

Alexander Medvedev, archery

Anuar Sariyev, judo

Iceland

Icelandic swimmers Jon Margeir Sverrisson, Sonja Sigurdardottir and Thelma Bjornsdottir all will return from London 2012. Sverrisson highlights the roster; the 23-year-old will look to defend his Paralympic gold in the men’s 200m freestyle S14. He took silver in the same event at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.

Helgi Sveinsson will look for his first Paralympic medal following his Games debut four years ago. Reigning European champion in the javelin F44, Sveinsson captured bronze in last year’s World Championships.

Thorsteinn Halldorsson will be the first Icelandic Para archer to compete at a Paralympic Games. Halldorsson landed a spot in the men’s compound open after his performance in June’s Czech Target, the last qualification tournament.

__

Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

Visa International is the exclusive payment card and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.