Ihar Boki, Belarus’ reigning five-time world champion, is full of confidence ahead of the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships from 13 July, and is targeting his five men’s S13 world records and another haul of gold medals.
Boki is hoping to take his World title count into double figures in Glasgow, Great Britain, and to do so in style: “I expect to break world records. I have been working very hard for the entire previous year and I am confident that I will succeed in that.”
The 21-year-old has produced some outstanding performances since he burst onto the scene at the 2010 World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, winning four gold medals.
He was the dominant swimmer in his category at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where he won five titles, and at the 2013 World Championships in Montreal, Canada.
But psychologically Boki enters Glasgow 2015 with a clean slate.
“The performances in London and Montreal do not give me any advantage over my opponents,” he said. “I believe that everyone has had enough time to prepare for such an exciting and motivating event as the World Championships where every athlete has the same starting conditions.”
But whilst the likes of Ukraine’s 50m freestyle world champion Iaroslav Denysenko will be out to push him all the way in Glasgow, Boki is not focused on any rivals in particular. Instead he is looking forward to a highly competitive seven days at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
“For me there is no such a notion as “main rivals,” Boki said. “Each athlete is a worthy rival and everyone has his/her personal aims for Glasgow. So it will certainly be a very amazing competition and a challenge for every swimmer to demonstrate his/her best performance.”
There is little doubt that Boki is the man to beat, and with Glasgow 2015 coming just over a year out from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, he is well aware of the importance of keeping up his impressive Championships record.
“Each start in any international competition is very important for me,” he said. “And in every event I try to do my best to show maximal results, to spread myself hundred percent. And Glasgow shall not be an exception.
“Therefore, the Championships in Glasgow must really become a very good marker for Rio next year.”
The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships will feature around 580 athletes from nearly 70 countries and will be one of the biggest qualification opportunities for Rio 2016.
Tickets are still available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/
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