Stukalova ‘cannot wait’ to meet Russell in Glasgow

“I would surely like to not only repeat my results, but improve them too. I cannot wait for it to start.”

Russia’s five-time world champion Darya Stukalova insists she can better her incredible performances from the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships, as she continues to train with three months to go until July’s event in Glasgow, Great Britain.

“I expect to perform successfully and to enjoy the competition” the 20-year-old S12 swimmer said. “I would surely like to not only repeat my results, but improve them too. I cannot wait for it to start.”

The five golds and one silver medal from the Worlds in Montreal, Canada, followed up a promising first Paralympic Games, where she picked up four podium finishes at London 2012. Her success continued at last year’s Euros in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, gliding to glory on five more occasions.

If the Russian is to pick up more top finishes, then she must be wary of her opposition. The likes of teammate and five-time Paralympic champion Oxana Savchenko and Great Britain’s world and European gold medallist Hannah Russell are just two of Stukalova’s biggest rivals.

“I can’t wait for Hannah Russell to perform,” Stukalova said. “This should be very interesting.”

Russell, who is a junior even compared to Stukalova at 18 years of age, also competed at London 2012, collecting three medals, and harbours ambitions of success at Rio 2016.

Stukalova meanwhile refuses to rest on her outstanding results, instead focusing on the future. With her main aim also to achieve glory in Rio, the Russian holds high hopes for the next few years. “It is a great result [so far in my career], but the Paralympic Games are ahead and there is no time to be wasted to relax,” she said.

Glasgow 2015 runs from 13-19 July and will feature around 650 swimmers from 50 countries in the last major international competition ahead of Rio 2016.

Tickets are available from GBP 10/15 for heats/finals. Media accreditation is also available.