Kocaeli 2026 able to host Europe’s greatest Para swimmers on the street to LA28 

The Paralympic Games are nonetheless two years away, however the path to Los Angeles 2028 for a whole bunch of Para swimmers runs by means of Kocaeli, Turkiye, the place the World Para Swimming European Championships takes place from 7 to 12 September. 

The Gebze Olympic Swimming Pool will welcome over 400 athletes from 38 nations competing in 150 medal occasions, in what would be the largest Para swimming occasion of the 12 months and largest single worldwide Para sport occasion ever held in Turkiye. 

Kocaeli 2026 will be streamed live on YouTube – click here to watch!

Complete schedule and outcomes may be discovered right here 

Since the inaugural version in Reykjavik, Iceland 17 years in the past, the European Championships have been a stage for rising athletes who later turn into Paralympic medallists, competing alongside family names searching for so as to add extra medals to their assortment. 

One of the celebrities of Kocaeli 2026, Simone Barlaam matches into each classes. In his European Championships debut at Dublin 2018, he claimed 4 gold and one silver medals as Italy climbed to the highest three of the medal standings for the primary time. Since then, he moved from newcomer to athlete to beat – and an inspiration to younger swimmers in his nation and around the globe. 

“I broke my first world record at a European Championships, in Dublin 2018; it is a really special event for me,” mentioned Barlaam, who has earned 15 medals in three editions of the Euros, 12 of them gold. “Now

I’m not that younger anymore, however I actually get pleasure from coming to new locations, a brand new pool, assembly new folks. The pool appears actually good and quick, I’m trying ahead to those European Championships. I hope folks in Turkiye will get pleasure from watching some nice swimming.”

Hosts Turkiye might be focusing on a historic top-10 end on the Euros for the primary time, spearheaded by an athlete with an uncommon profile: Defne Kurt, a five-time world champion making her European Championships debut. From competing as a non-Para swimmer on the short-course World Aquatics Championships to representing her nation in Para swimming, quite a bit has occurred – and Kurt says she is grateful for the chance to compete in Kocaeli.

“I’m really excited to compete in my home country and also grateful for being here. I was a swimmer before, and I had a car accident. That’s why I didn’t think I could swim again. Now I have the chance to swim again, and Para swimming gave me this opportunity. I had the chance to compete in the European Championships in swimming, and now I will do it in Para swimming at home.”

Kurt and Barlaam joined a press convention on Friday (4 September) in Kocaeli alongside the Head of World Para Swimming, Craig Nicholson, the President of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Turkiye, Murat Aksu, and representatives of the City of Kocaeli and the Kocaeli Province. 

Nicholson shared his expectations for the eighth version of the European Championships.

“Kocaeli 2026 is the main European event for Para swimming this year and an important milestone on the athletes’ journey towards the LA28 Paralympic Games. We look forward to outstanding performances from established athletes and rising talents alike – a trademkark of the European Championships,” Nicholson mentioned.

“Turkiye is hosting the competition for the first time, and we thank Kocaeli and NPC Türkiye for their work in bringing the event together on short notice. We are confident the Euros will leave a lasting legacy in the country, showcasing the power of Para swimming and inspiring the next generation of athletes across Europe.”

🏊‍♂️ İlk sporcularımız Kocaeli’ye gelmeye başladı!

Karşılamada tabii ki Gulf vardı. 💙
Bir de küçük bir Kocaeli klasiği: pişmaniye.

Baklavayı herkes bilir…
Gerçek gurmeler pişmaniyeyi Kocaeli’de yer. 😎

Kocaeli’ye hoş geldiniz!
Şimdi sıra Gebze Olimpik havuzda. 🌊

🏊‍♂️ Our first… pic.twitter.com/wicyHsrGMX

— Türk Paralimpik (@TurkParalimpik) September 4, 2026

Murat Aksu added:

“This is not just a sporting event. It’s a very important opportunity for our city and country to be showcased to the world. There is another very important dimension to these competitions. The athletes will be competing on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. Important steps in a story leading to Los Angeles will be taken here in Kocaeli today.”

Day one in all competitors will see 26 units of medals up for grabs, with the primary gold being awarded within the males’s 400m freestyle S8.

European Championships historical past

2009 – Reykjavik, Iceland

2011 – Berlin, Germany

2014 – Eindhoven, Netherlands

2016 – Funchal, Portugal

2018 – Dublin, Ireland

2020 – Madeira, Portugal

2024 – Madeira Portugal

2026 – Kocaeli, Turkiye