Paralympians amongst South Africa’s Glasgow 2015 squad
02.06.2015Ten athletes, including four Paralympians and reigning world champion Kevin Paul, will compete at July’s IPC Swimming World Championships.
Kevin Paul of South Africa competes in the men's 200m medley on day two of the Caixa Loterias 2014 Paralympics Swimming competition at Hebraica Club on April 25, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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A team of 10 athletes will represent South Africa at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain, from 13-19 July.
The team will take on the world’s top para-swimmers, totalling nearly 650 athletes from around 50 countries, at the largest competition ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The seven men and three women include double Paralympian and reigning men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 world champion Kevin Paul. The 23-year-old also won gold in the event at Beijing 2008 and heads into Glasgow as the current world No. 1.
Hendrik Herbst, who made his Paralympic debut at London 2012, went on to win two medals in men’s S11 events at the last edition of the World Championships in Montreal, Canada, in 2013.
Achmat Hassiem, 22, who lost his right leg below the knee following a shark attack in 2006, is also a double Paralympian and bronze medallist in the 100m butterfly S10 from London 2012.
On the women’s side, S9 swimmer Emily Gray, 23, completes the quad of Paralympians heading to one of the biggest qualification opportunities for the next Paralympic Games.
Tubby Reddy, SASCOC Chief Executive Officer, said: “Swimming has always been one of the codes which has made South African sport proud. This occasion should be no different. These are all top swimmers and I have no doubt that they’ll grab a good few medals in Glasgow.”
President Gideon Sam invoked the performances of South African swimmers at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, in the same pool that will be used for the World Championships: “We wish the team all the very best in Glasgow where our swimmers had a successful Commonwealth Games last year.
“With the retirement of some of our leading para-swimmers in the last while it’s now up to this group of talented athletes to step up to the plate and show that they can still fly the South African flag proudly. We are only just over a year from the Rio Paralympics and this is an ideal platform for our para-swimmers to shine.’
At Montreal 2013, South Africa finished joint 22nd on the medals table with seven medals (one gold, two silver and four bronze).
The team will be managed by Dea Slattery and accompanied by coaches Karin Hugo, Delon Dannhauser, Sibani Makhanya and Theo Verster as well as physiotherapist Jessica Joffe.
Team roster
Men
Hendrik Herbst, S11
Achmat Hassiem, S10
Challis Wright, S14
Hendrik van der Merwe, S6, SB5
Women
Emily Gray, S9
Beth Nothling, S5
Tickets for Glasgow 2015 Tickets for the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships are still available priced at GBP 10/15 for heats/finals, with children under 16 going free (terms and conditions apply). Heats start at 10am and finals at 6pm every day between 13-19 July.
Media accreditation is also still available.
