World Series land in Asia for first time

The World Para Swimming World Series will set foot in Asia for the first time as Singapore stage the fifth leg between 10 and 12 May. Over 160 swimmers from 25 countries are expected to compete.

Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu will be the home crowd favourite as she swims the women’s 50m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old took part in the Melbourne World Series, claiming one silver.

Another top swimmer to keep an eye on will be New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian Sophie Pascoe, who will compete in her third event of the year after claiming multiple golds at the Melbourne World Series and the ASA Age Group Championships in Auckland.

Rio 2016 champion Liu Benying will lead the seven-strong Chinese team which also includes Paralympic medallists Wang Jingang and Deng Yue. Another Paralympic champion who will be in attendance in Singapore will be Hong Kong’s Tang Wai Lok.

Looking ahead to their home Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Japan will present a team of 19 swimmers headlined by Keiichi Kimura and Keichi Nakajima.

South Korea will also be hopeful of landing gold through two-time Paralympic champion Giseong Jo, who will swim the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle, and 50m breaststroke.

USA’s multiple-Paralympic champion Jessica Long and Canadian Rio 2016 silver medallist Tess Routliffe will be two other big names participating.

The competition will be held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, a world-class swimming facility with audience capacity of 3,000. Participants can look forward to qualifying and acclimatising ahead of the London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The finals will be live streamed on World Para Swimming’s website. More information is available online.

The World Series will later continue with two more legs in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, between 30 May and 2 June, and Berlin, Germany, from 6-9 June.