Portuguese national trials to decide team for Euros
04.03.2016Portugal’s top para-swimmers will try for selection for the national team that will compete at their home European Championships in Funchal.
Portugal's David Grachat during the men's 400m freestyle S9 victory ceremony at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.
© • Luc Percival Photography. All rights reserved.
Portugal will hold their national trials on Saturday and Sunday (5-6 March), with swimmers vying for selection for their home 2016 IPC Swimming Open European Championships which will be hosted in Funchal in April.
The Winter National Championships will take place in the Piscina Municipal de Vila Franca de Xira and will be the first competition of the 2016 season.
136 swimmers - 89 male and 47 female – will compete for the opportunity to swim in front of home crowds at the Euros between 30 April-7 May, which is also the final major chance to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The group is highlighted by swimmers who have already qualified for Rio 2016 - Joao Pina, World Championships bronze medallist David Grachat, David Carreira, Nelson Lopes, Joana Calado and Simone Fragoso.
In addition to selection to the European Championships, where the team will feature up to 16 swimmers, athletes will also try to register good performances ahead of the Inas regional Championships – Europe.
Results will be available at the FPN website
Tickets for Funchal 2016 are available for free download at the event website.
Heats begin at 9am and finals at 5pm (WET) each day.
More information about Funchal and Madeira, including where to stay, is available here.
