Tokyo Paralympics preview: Para swimming day 2

Para swimming competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will feature 14 finals on day two.

Following a packed heats session in the morning, Para swimmers will first jump into the pool in the men’s 100m freestyle S5 in the afternoon.

After competing in the 200m freestyle S5 on day one, Brazilian Paralympic legend Daniel Dias will swim again on day two. He is the clear favourite to win the gold medal in one of his most successful events.

Dias is the three-time Paralympic champion, five-time world champion, and four-time Parapan American Games gold medallist in the 100m freestyle S5 event. He is the second-fastest man in the world in 2021.

Italy’s Francesco Bocciardo is currently the fastest in 2021. He set the best time of the year in Lignano Sabbiadoro at the end of February. It was not Bocciardo’s only success this year. The 27-year-old Italian also won the European title in Madeira adding it to his World Championships title from London 2019.

The same race in the women’s competition is set to be the one to remember at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Reigning Paralympic champion Zhang Li from China is going up against world champion Tully Kearney from Great Britain.

The 24-year-old British swimmer set the best time of the year in April at the World Series in Sheffield, while Li swam slightly slower in Berlin in June to set the second-best time in 2021.

Spanish star Teresa Perales will go into the pool in Tokyo for the first time on Thursday. She is the world record holder in the 100m freestyle S5, as well as the three-time Paralympic champion in the event. At the last Paralympic Games in Rio, she took silver behind China’s Zhang Li.

The S5 class will be followed by the men’s 100m S4. Israel’s Ami Omer Dadaon is going into the competition as the world record holder and two-time European champion.

He also owns the fastest time of the year, while his main rival Roman Zhdanov from RPC lies in third place in 2021. Zhdanov is the reigning world champion and the silver medallist from the Madeira 2020 Euros.

South Korea’s Giseong Jo is another one to watch out for. The 26-year-old is the defending Paralympic champion and the world champion from Glasgow 2015. His most recent success came at the London 2019 Worlds where he won the bronze medal.

Takayuki Suzuki, who set the second-best time of the year at the World Series in Berlin in June, is Japan’s medal hope in the race.

Men's and women's 200m individual medley SM6

After three freestyle events, individual medley in both women’s and men’s competition will take centre stage. The first on the schedule is the men’s 200m individual medley SM6 final.

RPC’s Andrei Granichka is going into the event in the best form. He is the reigning world and European champion. At the Euros in Madeira in May, Granichka also set the fastest time in 2021.

Colombia’s Nelson Crispin is likely to be Granichka’s main rival. Crispin is the world champion from Mexico City 2017, as well as the bronze medallist from London 2019.

Hongguang Jia from China is the second-fastest swimmer in 2021, only behind Granichka, following a great performance at the Berlin World Series in June.

Great Britain’s Maisie Summers-Newton will be the name to beat in the women’s 200m individual medley SM6. She is the world record holder, reigning world champion, and Dublin 2018 European title holder.

She owns the second-best time of the year in Manchester in March. Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Mereshko is the only Para swimmer faster than Summers-Newton this year. She is also coming to Tokyo as the newly crowned European champion from Madeira. The 29-year-old won the silver medal in both London 2019 World Championships and Dublin 2018 Euros.

Ellie Simmonds is another British athlete hoping for a medal in the event. The reigning Paralympic champion, Simmonds beat China’s Lingling Song – Mexico City 2017 world champion and London 2019 bronze medallist.

Men's and women's 400m freestyle S11

The men’s 400m freestyle S11 comes next. Rogier Dorsman from the Netherlands is the favourite in the event as the reigning world champion and the fastest Para swimmer in 2021.

Ukraine’s Mykhailo Serbin and Viktor Smyrnov will be Dorsman’s biggest threats. Serbin is the reigning European champion and the third-fastest this year, while Smyrnov won the European title in 2018 and holds the silver medal from Madeira 2020.

The 32-year-old Japanese swimmer Uchu Tomita holds the second-fastest time of the year and will have the extra motivation in winning the medal at his home Paralympics.

A Dutch swimmer is also the favourite in the women’s 400m freestyle S11. Liesette Bruinsma stunned the Para swimming world five years ago by winning gold at Rio 2016 at only 16 years of age. Since then, she has added the Dublin 2018 Euros and the London 2019 Worlds golds to her medals tally.

USA’s 17-year-old sensation Anastasia Pagonis will be Bruinsma’s main rival in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. She set the fastest time in 2021 at the US Paralympic Team Trials in Minneapolis in June.

Men's and women's 100m breaststroke SB9

After the two longest events of day two, it will be time for the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9. Italy’s Stefano Raimondi is the reigning world champion and the two-time European title holder. He is almost two seconds faster than the second-best Para swimmer in 2021.

Raimondi is followed by two RPC athletes in 2021, Artem Isaev and Dmitrii Bartasinskii.

The women’s 100m breaststroke SB9 is set to be a tighter race. Chantalle Zijderveld from the Netherlands is the two-time world champion, three-time European champion, and the bronze medallist from Rio 2016. She also set the fastest time in 2021 at the Berlin World Series in June.

Her compatriot Lisa Kruger set the second-fastest time of the year at the same event in Germany. She is the reigning Paralympic champion and the silver medallist from London 2019 and Dublin 2018, where Zijderveld celebrated victory.

Argentina’s Daniela Gimenez could disrupt the Dutch one-two. The 29-year-old is the three-time Parapan American Games champion, world champion from Mexico City 2017, and bronze medallist from London 2019. 

Spain’s Sarai Gascon is coming to Tokyo as the reigning European champion from Madeira in May which is a fine confidence boost going into the Paralympic Games.

Men's and women's 100m backstroke S13

Ihar Boki from Belarus will be looking at a second podium on day two in the men’s 100m backstroke S13. The vision-impaired athlete is the two-time Paralympic champion and the three-time world and European champion in the race.

He set the season-best time in Madeira at the European Open Championships in May. It is more than three seconds faster than the second-fastest athlete in 2021, Thomas van Wanrooij from the Netherlands.

The women’s 100m backstroke S13 also has its clear favourite. Her name is Carlotta Gilli. The Italian is the world record holder, reigning Paralympic champion, and two-time world and European champion.

However, Gilli is not the fastest woman in the event this year. That title goes to USA’s Gia Pergolini who swam faster at the US Trials in Minneapolis in June.

Men's and women's 100m breaststroke SB8, mixed 4x50m freestyle relay 20pts

Following up in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre will be the men’s 100m breaststroke SB8. RPC’s Andrei Kalina is the man to beat as the reigning world and European champion. The 34-year-old is also the fastest in the event in 2021.

Oscar Salguero from Spain should be Kalina’s main rival in Tokyo as the reigning Paralympic champion. He is also the three-time World Championships medallist and two-time Euros medal holder.

Another threat for Kalina will be Italy’s Federico Morlacchi, Rio 2016 silver medallist. The 28-year-old Italian took bronze at Mexico City 2017 and is a four-time medallist in the European Championships. Chile’s Vicente Almonacid will try to make an upset and win a medal as the second-fastest Para swimmer in 2021.

Europe is well-represented in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 as well. Ireland’s Ellen Keane set the fastest time of the year in June in Bangor. She is the European champion from Dublin in 2018 and the bronze medallist from Rio 2016 and London 2019.

Spain’s Nuria Marques is also in fine form ahead of Tokyo 2020. She is the fourth-fastest in the event this year and took silver at the Madeira 2020 Europeans in May.

New Zealand’s Paralympic legend Sophie Pascoe is going for her first medal in Tokyo in the event. She clocked the third-fastest time of the year. Katarina Roxon from Canada is the reigning Paralympic champion and London 2019 bronze medallist. 

Grenada’s Nye Cruickshank will make her Games debut in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8. It will also be Grenada’s first appearance at the Paralympics. The 19-year-old made her first international appearance at the Lewisville World Series in April.

The last event scheduled for day two is the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay 20pts. China is the clear favourite to take gold as the reigning Paralympic and world champions with a world record to their name.

Italy is China’s greatest rival in the event as the fastest team in 2021. The Azzuri have also won the last two European Championship titles, as well as the last two silver medals at the Worlds.

Complete schedule and results from the Para swimming competition at Tokyo 2020 will be available on Paralympic.org.