U.S. paralympic swimming trials

Last update: April 2, 2008 - 9:41 PM

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What: A three-day competition to determine the men and women who will represent the United States in swimming events at the Paralympics, an Olympic-style competition for elite disabled athletes.

When: Today through Saturday; preliminaries at 9 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m. each day

Where: University of Minnesota Aquatic Center

Admission: Free

Who will compete: Many world-class athletes and several local swimmers will participate. Locals include Justin Zook of Plymouth, gold medalist in the 100-meter backstroke at the Athens Paralympics, and Anna Eames of Golden Valley, a multiple international medalist. Other top competitors include Jessica Long, who won three golds at the 2004 Paralympics and holds 12 world records; seven-time Paralympic gold medalist Erin Popovich, and world-record holder Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

About the Paralympics: The 2008 Paralympic Games will be held in Beijing on Sept. 6-17. The Games are for high-level athletes with many kinds of disabilities, including amputations, visual impairment and spinal cord injuries. There are 20 sports in the Summer Games and five in the Winter Games, and the Paralympics are always held immediately following the Olympics at the same site.

For more information: www.paralympic.org; www.usolympicteam.com/paralympics