Seven Paralympic champions to watch at Glasgow 2015

Aside from the big name multiple medallists, who else should fans be on the look-out for at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships? 11 Jul 2015
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Elodie Lorandi

Swimmer Elodie Lorandi is expected to lead France's delegation at London 2012.

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By IPC

It took a serious shoulder injury to make Cole realise just how lucky she was to be able to compete at the highest level.

The world’s best swimmers are just days away from the start of the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain, which begin on Monday (13 July).

A huge number are multiple medallists, but aside from IPC Swimming’s Ones to Watch, here are some Paralympic title holders who have made the journey to Glasgow 2015.

Yasuhiro Tanaka, Japan

Tanaka made a name for himself at London 2012 after winning gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB14. On receiving his prize, he proceeded to vigorously sniff the accompanying flowers and pose for photographs for longer than scheduled, much to the delight of the waiting press pack.

Yip Pin Xiu, Singapore

Winner of Singapore’s first Paralympic gold medal in the women’s 50m backstroke S3 at Beijing 2008, Xiu became an overnight sensation in her home country. At 23-years-old, Xiu made history once again this year by becoming the first para-athlete to be inducted into Singapore’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Maija Reichard, Sweden

A women’s 100m breaststroke S11 specialist, Reichard won gold in the event at her first Paralympic Games at London 2012. An environmental engineer by education, Reichard went on to win gold at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships and 2014 Euros.

Tamas Sors, Hungary

The 23-year-old picked up his first Paralympic gold medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 at Beijing 2008, following that up four years later with another podium-topping performance in London. However at the last Worlds in 2013, the Hungarian did not manage to retain the title he collected in 2010. Only time will tell if he can return back to that form in Glasgow.

Elodie Lorandi, France

Lorandi’s win at London 2012 in the women’s 400m freestyle S10 against a dominant Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand was one of the highlights of the Paralympic Games. Lorandi begins her quest to retain that title at Rio 2016, working on the simple mantra of ‘shut-up and swim’.

Bradley Snyder, USA

The hotly anticipated return to major international competition comes for double men’s S11 Paralympic champion Snyder in 2015. The US Navy veteran made it onto the US team just months before the start of London 2012, following an IED explosion whilst on duty in Afghanistan which left him visually impaired.

Snyder is busy re-writing his own future, which could include leaving Glasgow 2015 with his first world titles.

Ellie Cole, Australia

It took a serious shoulder injury to make Cole realise just how lucky she was to be able to compete at the highest level. The 23-year-old planned to retire after winning four gold medals at London 2012, but after her surgeon explained that reconstructive surgery could rule her out of the pool completely, she decided to stay on after making a full recovery.

The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships will feature around 580 athletes from nearly 70 countries and will be one of the biggest qualification opportunities for Rio 2016.

Tickets are still available and all seven days of action will be shown live at Glasgow2015.com alongside live results between 13-19 July.

Fans can also follow @IPCSwimming on Twitter and Facebook and Paralympics Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates and pictures.