Ellie Robinson Tokyo 2020 Aquatics Centre

Paralympics GB swimmers ready to make a splash in Tokyo

23 Aug 2021

The Tokyo Aquatics Centre is ready - and so is Britain's 25-strong Paralympic swimming team, as they prepare to dive into action when the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games gets underway. 

Tuesday's Opening Ceremony will fire the starting gun on 13 days of world-class sporting action from Japan. That ceremony will see five-time Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds, competing at her fourth Games, carry the Union flag for Paralympics GB, alongside archer John Stubbs. 

Within hours of those celebrations ending, the University of Aberdeen's Toni Shaw will begin her maiden Paralympic campaign in the heats of the Women's S9 400m Freestyle on Wednesday 25th August (1.13am BST), marking the first British involvement across nine days of swimming competition. 

A busy opening day at the pool will also see Reece Dunn, Jordan Catchpole and Louis Lawlor go in the Men's S14 100m Butterfly, Jessica-Jane Applegate and Louise Fiddes in the Women's S14 100m Butterfly, Lyndon Longhorne compete in the Men's SB3 50m Breaststroke, Ellie Robinson start her second Paralympics in the Women's S6 50m Freestyle, Zara Mullooly compete in the Women's S10 50m Freestyle and 2019 World Championship medal-winning duo Tully Kearney and Suzanna Hext race the Women's S5 200m Freestyle. 

Ellie Simmonds Tokyo 2020 Flagbearer
Flagbearer Ellie Simmonds

In total, 14 of the 25 GB athletes are competing in their first Paralympics, five years on from Paralympics GB's most successful swimming medal haul at a Games at Rio 2016 - a remarkable 47. Among those are the likes of Ellie Challis and Reece Dunn, whose senior international debut for Britain came as recently as the 2019 World Championships in London. 

As well as those gaining that priceless first-time experience, there are those with previous Games experience here, too. 

Bethany Firth will look to defend her Women's S14 200m Freestyle title on day three (Friday 27th August), Tom Hamer and Scott Quin both made it to the podium half-a-decade ago and go in search of more medals, while Clegg - a Paralympic debutant in Rio - will look to build on the S12 100m Butterfly world record he set earlier in the year on that busy opening day in Tokyo.

Impossible to Ignore credit Rob Aubry
#ImpossibleToIgnore

With the longer-than-expected build-up now over, our athletes are ready to put into action every moment of energy and dedication that has gone into training in unique and difficult circumstances over the past 18 months, a situation that has tested every team member's resilience. 

To follow every swim, result and medal moment from the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, keep up to date with our 'What's On?' page, which will outline daily event schedules and every single report from the Games.

As ever, there will be extensive updates across our British Swimming social media channels too - so if you don't already follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, now is the time to start!