The global governing body of para swimming, World Para Swimming, has sanctioned the 2017 International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Swimming Championships taking place from 28 November – 3 December in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

The status means that results achieved by swimmers in the intellectual impairment classification, known as S14, will count towards the world rankings and any world records will be recognised.

The Local Organising Committee also revealed the mascot for Aguascalientes 2017 – a chicken named Rooster complete with swimming cap, trunks and goggles.

The biggest competition for athletes with an intellectual impairment, the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Championships take place every two years and are a crucial stop on the road to the Paralympic Games and the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games. The programme features all strokes, distances and relays.

Aguascalientes 2017 is open to swimmers from all around the world and will feature athletes with Down’s syndrome and autism competing in two additional eligibility groups for the first time as part of an World Intellectual Impairment Sport trial. Around 150 swimmers from 20 countries are expected to compete.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games is set to take place in Brisbane, Australia, and is tipped to be the most competitive in history as athletes build towards the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

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World Intellectual Impairment Sport represents more than 300,000 athletes with intellectual impairments around the world. We give elite athletes the chance to compete at an international level and on the Paralympic stage. But we cannot continue our work towards the inclusion of the world’s biggest impairment group in society without your support.

We are a registered charity and your help can make a big difference.