Manchester plays host to the cream of world disability swimming this weekend as the fourth annual Paralympic World Cup hits the city.

Swimmers ranked top 10 in the world will be in action at Manchester Aquatics Centre on Saturday (10 May) for the daylong event showcasing 13 of the most competitive events on the Paralympic programme.

A 20-strong British squad will be defending its table-topping record in the pool, having won more medals than any other nation for the last two years running. Last year alone the British team took seven gold, six silver and five bronze medals.

World Champions Dave Roberts (Swim Swansea), Sascha Kindred (Leominster) and Natalie Jones (Colchester Phoenix) are joined this year by Sam Hynd (Nova Centurion) and Rhiannon Henry (Swim Swansea) as they look to continue their impressive results at the Paralympic World Cup.

British Head Coach Lars Humer believes the World Cup provides the swimmers with the perfect opportunity to showcase their talent before the Paralympic Games.
 
“This event gives us an excellent opportunity to measure ourselves against the rest of the world,” Humer said. “Anytime we can compete internationally is valuable for us. The competition gives us the chance to give our swimmers high-level race exposure.

“Everyone is getting back into hard training after British Championships and the International Championships and this competition ensures the element of speed in their training. It is really important to get our swimmers racing in the build up to Beijing and I would like to see them get some good times this week.”

Swimming is one of four sports at the Paralympic World Cup, which officially kicked off on Monday with wheelchair basketball. More than 300 athletes are expected to take part during the week of competition.

British swimmers competing in Manchester are as follows:

James Anderson (Broxburn)
Claire Cashmore (Kelly College)
Emma Cattle (Luton)
James Crisp (City of Sheffield)
Gareth Duke (Swim Swansea)
Jonathan Fox (Newquay Cormorants)
Rhiannon Henry (Swansea Performance)
Sam Hynd (Nova Centurion)
David Hill (Kelly College)
Liz Johnson (Swim Swansea)
Natalie Jones (Colchester Phoenix)
Sascha Kindred (Leominster Kingfisher)
Rachel Latham (Bolton Metro)
Nyree Lewis (Leominster Kingfisher)
David Roberts (Swim Swansea)
Anthony Stephens (Swim Swansea)
Matt Walker (Marple)
Louise Watkin (Kelly College)
Fran Williamson (Colchester Phoenix)
Matt Whorwood (Newquay Cormorants)

The following events are scheduled:

Male:
S2 50m Freestyle.
SM6 200m Individual Medley
SB11 100m Breaststroke
S9 100m Backstroke
S7 50m Freestyle
S5 200m Freestyle
S8 400m Freestyle

Female:
SM6 200m Individual Medley
S8 100m Backstroke
S10 100m Backstroke
S3 50m Backstroke 
S9 100m Freestyle
S13 100m Butterfly

-ENDS-

For details of the Paralympic World Cup log onto www.paralympicworldcup.com

For more information contact British Swimming media assistant Gemma Field on 01509 632238, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
www.britishswimming.org

British Swimming has today nominated thirty-six swimmers for the British team for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

The squad features a mix of youth and experience, with 13-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, nominated for her first Games, while 45-year-old Jim Anderson will be potentially travelling to his fifth Games.

Simmonds, who is the youngest member of the squad is joined by other Paralympic debutants, including 14-year-old Elizabeth Simpkin, 19-year-old Kate Grey (Bristol/ Bath), 18-year-old Rachael Latham (Wigan) and 15-year-old Louise Watkin.

Paralympic champions Dave Roberts (Cardiff), Sascha Kindred (Hereford), Nyree Lewis (Hereford), Natalie Jones (Manchester) and Gareth Duke (Cwmbran) have also been nominated to travel to the Beijing Games with the goal of defending their titles and adding to their personal medal hauls. (For a full list of nominated athletes please see below).

British Swimming National Performance Director Tim Reddish said: “The team has a good mix of youth and experience, with 45% of the team potentially attending their first Paralympic Games. This is really pleasing because it will prove to be beneficial for all of our athletes, coaches and support staff,” Reddish said. “The average age of this squad is younger than the one that competed in Athens and this demonstrates that the systems and programmes that British Swimming have in place are working well.

“It’s pleasing to see that a number of records have fallen during the past two competitions. The priority is to break British records because this shows that as a nation we are improving but to see European and world records tumbling is a good indicator of where we are on the world stage.

“Our athletes and their coaches now need to focus upon their preparations for Beijing to continue improving and if they succeed in this I can see them being able to get in the hunt for medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games.”

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane, said: “Swimming has traditionally been one of the most successful Paralympic sports in terms of medals at previous Games.  We are delighted to receive nominations for a squad of 36 athletes who we hope will continue this success in Beijing.

“The number of emerging youngsters that have been nominated for their first Paralympic Games is testament to how successfully British Swimming nurture and develop new talent but its also exciting to see so many established Paralympians returning to the ParalympicsGB squad to defend the titles won in Athens.”

World Championship medallist Louise Watkin said: “I am overjoyed to have been nominated for my first Paralympic Games. It really has made all of the hard-work worthwhile. It looks like it will be a really exciting event.

“If I am selected I will be looking forward to the challenge of competing at the Paralympics, I know it will be like nothing I have ever been to before but I think I will be able to stay focused and do the best that I can.”

Paralympic Champion Sascha Kindred said: “I am very excited to be nominated for my fourth Paralympic Games. I think the experience I have gained from the previous Games will help this year. My first Games in Atlanta was a real shock and I didn’t know how to prepare myself for competition but now I know how to stay focused on the task in hand.

“The team has a great mix of young athletes and more experienced ones, I am looking forward to being able to pass on my knowledge and experience to the younger athletes and I think that will really benefit them. The great thing about the British Swimming team is that we have a really good team atmosphere and we all support each other.”

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The swimming events at the Games take place at the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube, from September 7 to 15.

At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage ParalympicsGB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.

For further information about ParalympicsGB, please contact Sian Davies in the Press Office on 0207 211 5240 or 07721 892686 or by email at sian.davies@paralympics.org.uk. For news updates visit the BPA website at www.paralympics.org.uk

N.B ParalympicsGB is the trading name of the British Paralympic Association.

For further information about the British Swimming team please contact Gemma Field in the press office on 01509 632 262 or 07917 726 431 or on email at gemma.field@swimming.org

The swimming squad nominated to the BPA comprises:

Name                      Born              Lives                                  Place of birth
James Anderson   14/04/1963  Broxburn                            St Andrews
Claire Cashmore   21/05/1988  Kidderminster/ Devon      Kidderminster
Emma Cattle         10/04/1988   Harlington, Beds               Luton
Jenny Coughlin      09/11/1983  Swansea                            St Helens
James Crisp          11/10/1982  Nottingham                         Nottingham
Gareth Duke          18/06/1986  Cwmbran                            Cwbran
Graham Edmunds 22/10/1982  Swansea                            Reading
David Ellis              12/07/1986  Heanor, Derbyshire          Nottingham
Jonathan Fox         30/05/1991  St Austell, Corwall             Plymouth
Sean Fraser          30/04/1990  Loanhead, Midlothian       Edinburgh
Heather Frederiksen   30/12/1985  Leigh, Lancashire       Billinge
Kate Grey              25/01/1989  Thornbury, Bristol/ Bath     Bristol
Rhiannon Henry    20/05/1987  Bridgend                             Bridgend
Charlotte Henshaw   16/01/1987  Mansfield, Notts             Mansfield
Sam Hynd              03/07/1991  Kirkby-in-Ashfield,            Sutton-in-Ashfield
Elizabeth Johnson   03/12/1985  Swansea       Newport
Natalie Jones    31/10/1984  Manchester       Colchester
Sascha Kindred   13/12/1977  Hereford       Munster, Ger
Dervis Konuralp   27/09/1980  Hackney, London      London
Rachael Latham   13/08/1989  Wigan        Billinge
Nyree Lewis    21/09/1980  Hereford       Rhonda Valley
Andrew Lindsay   25/10/1979  Cowdenbeath       Dumfermline
Mhairi Love    05/05/1981  Larkhill, Lanarkshire      Lanarkshire
Simon Miller    10/06/1986  Manchester       Shoreham 
Stephanie Millward   20/09/1981   Chippenham, Wilts      Saudi Arabia
David Roberts    11/05/1980  Cardiff        Pontypridd     
Eleanor Simmonds   11/11/1994  Swansea       Derbyshire
Elizabeth Simpkin   11/08/1994  Southport, Lancs      Southport 
Lauren Steadman   18/12/1992  Huntingdon, Cambs      Peterborough
Anthony Stephens   09/07/1986  Swansea       Reading
Matthew Walker   25/04/1978  Stockport          Stockport
Louise Watkin    13/08/1992  Redhill, Surrey      Stockholm
Danielle Watts    13/10/1980  Denton, Oxon       Oxford
Robert Welbourn   11/06/1987  Swansea       Chesterfield
Matthew Whorwood    07/12/1989  Newquay       Truro
Fran Williamson   16/06/1985  Cambridge       Sunderland