World’s best swimmers gather in Berlin

Many of the world’s best swimmers have arrived in Berlin, Germany, for the start of the Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften (IDM), taking place from 16-19 April.

A host of world and Paralympic champions, including members of the British team preparing for their home World Championships in Glasgow, will go head-to-head at the Berlin Europa Sport Park, the venue that staged the 2011 European Championships.

Fresh from being named to the team for Glasgow 2015, Great Britain’s six-time Paralympic champion Eleanor Simmonds is optimising every opportunity to build towards the World Championships in women’s S6 events.

Nineteen-time world champion Jessica Long is also in Berlin after storming her way onto the US team for the Worlds which take place from 13-19 July. A great performance at the Spring Can Ams in March, including a new world record in 400m freestyle S8, showed that the 23-year-old remains a serious contender in 2015.

In the women’s S5, Singapore’s triple Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games medallist Theresa Goh will face Belarusian Natalia Shavel, who made it onto the podium four times at the Worlds in 2013. Spain’s Teresa Perales, who completed an exceptional return to competitive swimming in 2014 with seven European medals, will also line-up.

Hosts Germany, who have yet to announce their World Championships team, will send nearly 150 swimmers. Daniela Schulte, the 400m freestyle S11 world and Paralympic champion, will hope to impress the home crowds.

In the men’s events, Japan’s reigning 50m breaststroke SB3 world champion Takayuki Suzuki is part of a field that features the Netherlands’ Michael Schoenmaker, who collected silver behind Suzuki in 2013.

Other Dutch interest comes from triple world and European champion Marc Evers in the men’s S14, competing against Australia’s 200m freestyle S14 world and Commonwealth champion Daniel Fox.

A livestream of the competition will be available at the IPC Swimming website and live results will be published at the IDM website.

Glasgow 2015 will feature 650 of the world’s best swimmers from 50 countries and will be the biggest gathering of international swimmers ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Tickets for the IDM are still available as well as for Glasgow 2015.