This year’s International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships In Glasgow are “absolutely crucial” for Paralympic sport, the organisation’s President Sir Philip Craven claimed today.
The event in Glasgow, two months from today, is set to be one of the highlights of the Paralympic calendar with a top field expected to descend on the Scottish city.
Home star Ellie Simmonds, six-time Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand and American Jessica Long are all due to compete and Sir Philip is looking forward to the event getting underway.
“The event in Glasgow is absolutely crucial for Paralympic sport and it is going to be a wonderful Championships,” he told insidethegames.
“We’re expecting to have all the world’s top swimmers as well as up and coming British stars so it should be a fantastic competition.
“It’s a big few months for us as we have the swimming and then the [IPC] athletics [World Championships] in Doha in October."
The competition offers swimmers the chance to earn quota places for their countries at next year's Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, something Sir Philip described as “hugely important” for the event.
“The World Championships offer National Paralympic Committees the opportunity to qualify for Rio 2016 and if you get a gold or silver at the Championships you’re likely to get picked for the Paralympic Games which is vital for the swimmers,” he added.
“Athletics and swimming are usually the biggest sports at the Paralympic Games in terms of medals so the event is hugely important.”
The event will be staged in the same place that held the swimming competitions at last year’s Commonwealth Games - the Tollcross International Swimming Centre - which were a huge success and Sir Philip feels preparations are in superb shape.
“It’s great to be back at a venue which has had great success and is fresh in the mind of supporters and we have a great relationship with Glasgow and the venue as a whole,” Sir Philip said.
“Preparations are going well and everything is in great shape so far and I have every confidence it will be a fantastic event.”
Sir Philip also claimed that tickets will be set at an “affordable” level, starting at £10 ($15/€14) for heats and £15 ($23/€21) for finals, and children under the age of 16 will be granted free admission if they are with a paying adult.
The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships take place from 13-19 July at Tollcross, Glasgow this year and it is the biggest para-swimming event outside of the Paralympic Games, bringing together 550 of the best swimmers from around the world for what will be a week-long celebration of world-class sport. Tickets are now available by clicking here.