South Korea’s Jo “preparing for world record”

The swimmer is set to make a splash at September’s Paralympic Games in Rio. 14 Aug 2016
Imagen
Man in swimming pool, celebrating after finishing a race. Camera filming him.

JO Giseong at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.

ⒸLuc Percival Photography. All rights reserved.
By Laura Godenzi | For the IPC

“I have two aims for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. One is to get a gold medal and the other one is to set a new world record.”

With only one month to go, South Korea’s Giseong Jo feels prepared to grab gold, and even a world record, at his first Paralympic Games this September in Rio de Janeiro from 7 September.

Jo showed excellent form in 2015 winning three titles at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain, making him a very strong contender for the podium at the Paralympics.

The swimmer is looking forward to the biggest event in his career so far. “It is the first time I participate at a Paralympic Games so I am really excited,” he said.

“I look forward to winning a gold medal. I want to feel how huge the happiness will be after winning a Paralympic title,” he said.

In Rio Jo will dive into the water for the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle S4 events. “My major events are the 100m and 200m. In the short distance events you need lots of power at once and I think I am better at keeping up the speed for some more time,” he said.

The goals for Jo’s first Paralympic appearance are set high. “I have two aims for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. One is to get a gold medal and the other one is to set a new world record,” he said.

Even though Jo will face stiff competition from Mexico’s two-time defending Paralympic champion Gustavo Sanchez he is very confident for Rio, especially after his excellent performance in Glasgow.

“I felt very good and happy. After finishing the World Championships successfully, I gained a lot of confidence for the Paralympic Games.”

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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.