World Series 2026: Gutierrez Bermudez headlines home challenge in Guadalajara

The Para Swimming World Series returns to Guadalajara from 13 to 16 August, with Mexico’s Jesus Alberto Gutierrez Bermudez spearheading the home challenge at the seventh stop of the 2026 season.

A total of 206 athletes from 14 nations will compete in multi-class events at the Centro Acuatico CODE Metropolitano. The entry includes 166 swimmers representing Mexico, alongside athletes from another 13 countries.

Competition begins on Thursday (13 August) and continues through Sunday (16 August) with the multiclass format set to bring athletes from different sport classes into the same events as performances will be measured through the World Para Swimming points system.

All four days of the Para Swimming World Series Mexico 2026 will be live streamed on the official YouTube channel and Facebook page of the Mexican Paralympic Committee - COPAME.

🛬🇲🇽 The Para Swimming World Series 2026 heads to Mexico for its seventh stop of the season.

¡VAMOS! 🔜 #ParaSwimming #WorldSeries2026 #Mexico2026 pic.twitter.com/YkHTbRjA1D

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) August 3, 2026

A key stop 

Mexico is hosting the World Series for the fifth time, while this will be the fourth consecutive edition staged at the CODE Metropolitano Aquatic Centre, which has become an established destination on the World Para Swimming calendar.

Gutierrez Bermudez arrives in Guadalajara following two major international seasons in which he progressed from the Paralympic podium to an Americas record at the World Championships.

The 19-year-old S6 swimmer claimed bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle S6 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He returned to the international podium at the World Para Swimming Championships - Singapore 2025, claiming silver in the 200m individual medley SM6 and bronze in the 100m breaststroke SB6.

His individual medley performance produced one of the closest finishes of the championships. Gutierrez Bermudez challenged China’s Hong Yang throughout the race before touching 0.33 seconds behind the eventual champion. His time of 2:37.06 established an Americas record.

In Guadalajara, the Mexican swimmer will contest in the same three events in which he earned his Paralympic and world medals – the 400m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 100m breaststroke. He will also race the 50m butterfly.

The programme offers another opportunity to assess his progress at the beginning of the cycle towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

Gutierrez Bermudez is one of three brothers competing internationally in the S6 class, alongside Juan Jose and Raul Gutierrez Bermudez. All three represented Mexico at Paris 2024, including in the men’s 400m freestyle S6.

Halfway through 2026 already! 🤯

Let’s look back at the five Para Swimming World Series meets that have shaped the season so far.

Now, bring on the second half… 👀🥰#ParaSwimming pic.twitter.com/Ut3r7y0fei

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) June 30, 2026

Experienced Paralympians

Angel de Jesus Camacho Ramirez adds further Paralympic experience to the hosts’ campaign. The S4 swimmer clinched three medals at Paris 2024, taking silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in both the 100m freestyle and 150m individual medley.

Camacho Ramirez has entered five events in Guadalajara, and is set to compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, as well as the 150m individual medley and 50m breaststroke.

Fabiola Ramirez Martinez will also return to international competition in front of a home crowd. The Mexican S2 swimmer earned bronze in the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and added a World Championships bronze in the 200m freestyle in Singapore.

Ramirez Martinez is competing in the women’s 50m and 100m backstroke in Guadalajara, bringing experience from three Paralympic Games to the Mexican team.

Among the visiting athletes, Peru’s Rodrigo Santillan will compete in the men’s 50m and 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle.

Santillan claimed 100m backstroke S2 bronze at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games before collecting three more bronze medals at Santiago 2023, in the 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle S2.

The Peruvian has also reached four Paralympic finals across Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, giving him extensive experience in the three events he will contest in Mexico.