Top British swimmers in action at Glasgow 2015 venue

Mullen, a Glasgow native, burst further onto the international stage at the 2014 Euros in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, winning his first career gold medals in S5 events.

Top British swimmers will join Paralympic and world champions from around the world at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow from Thursday (26 March), for the annual British Para-Swimming International Meet (BPSIM).

Featuring four-time Paralympic champion Eleanor Simmonds and four-time European gold medallist teammate Andrew Mullen as the home favourites, it is the first major competition in Europe of 2015, and takes place in the same pool that will host the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships from 13-19 July.

Mullen, a Glasgow native, burst onto the international stage at the 2014 Euros in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, winning his first career gold medals in S5 events.

Simmonds is hoping to follow-up on her three S6 golds from Eindhoven with further success this summer, in preparation for her third Paralympic Games at Rio 2016.

On the men’s side, national favourite Sascha Kindred starts his 19th season in the pool having made it onto the podium in all his events at Eindhoven 2014, against Ireland’s 20 year-old world and Paralympic champion Darragh McDonald.

Great Britain will also be well represented in the women’s S9 events, with the multiple Paralympic, Worlds and Euros medallist trio of Claire Cashmore, Amy Marren and Stephanie Millward heading out against Spain’s 50m freestyle world and European champion Sarai Gascon.

Jessica-Jane Applegate will represent the hosts in the women’s S14 races, setting her sights on defending her 200m freestyle world title in 2015.

Also competing at Tollcross will be around 300 swimmers from nearly 20 other countries, including a strong Canadian contingent headlined by nine-time Paralympic champion Benoit Huot in the men’s S10.

Fresh from being announced to the team for Glasgow 2015 and August’s Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, Huot is joined in Glasgow by youngster Aurelie Rivard.

Rivard, 18, a rising star of the Canadian team having won a silver medal at London 2012, followed that up a year later with five podiums at the 2013 World Championships.

The women’s S5 will see Norway’s seven-time world champion Sarah Louise Rung head-out in her first international meet of the year, beginning her campaign to win five gold medals at Glasgow 2015.

The Scandinavians have further interest in the women’s S11 classification, as Sweden’s 100m breaststroke SB11 Paralympic, world and European champion Maija Reichard lines-up.

Singaporean women’s 50m freestyle S3 world champion Yip Pin Xiu is also a face to look out for, continuing to represent her country on the global stage after winning their first ever Paralympic gold medal at Beijing 2008.

BPSIM 2015 runs until 29 March, and spectators will have the chance to buy tickets for Glasgow 2015 as well as online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Glasgow2015.

Heats get underway every day at 09:00 local time, with the finals beginning at 17:00.