World records seem set to tumble in the swimming pool at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, if the test event is anything to go by. The general opinion among the 212 athletes from 19 countries competing in new Olympic Aquatics Stadium was that the pool is fast.

Concrete evidence was provided Colombian teenager Carlos Serrano Zárate, who broke his won world record in the 100m breaststroke (SB7 classification), recording a new mark of 1:14.72. “The stadium is great and the pool is perfect for the competition”, said the 17-year-old.

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Brazilian Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, who is also a vice-president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said: “The athletes were satisfied, they liked the event,” he said. “The pool was praised, defined as ‘fast’, while the venue itself – accessibility and flow – was also complimented.”

Other swimmers also praised the venue in Barra Olympic Park. “I feel that I can swim quickly here and can’t wait until September to see the crowd cheering,” said American Roy Perkins, who will provide one of the biggest threats to home-crowd hero Daniel Dias, the the Laureus World Disability Athlete of the Year. 

“The facilities are very good. It’s not like anywhere I’m used to, it’s amazing”

Darya Stukalova, multiple world champion from Russia
 

André Brasil seems destined to be one of the host nation's stars at the Paralympic Games (Photo: Rio 2016/ Miriam Jeske)

Among the most satisfied Brazilians was André Brasil, who won all five events he competed in. “The stage is ready and we expect the stadium to have a passionate atmosphere in September,” he said. Dias won two golds and one bronze medal and although he admited that he expected more of himself, he said he was not too disappointed.

“It was cool to get to know the pool and the crowd was superb – I already felt the Paralympic Games vibe”

Daniel Dias

Among the fans was Simone Fonseca, who had never been to a Paralympic Swimming event before. “We saw that humans can do anything – if you want it you can overcome anything,” she said. “That’s why I brought my youngest nephew, so that he could learn from that.”

The fans ensured the swimmers competed in a vibrant atmopshere at the test event (Photo: Rio 2016/ Miriam Jeske)

Rio 2016 sport director Rodrigo Garcia said one of the biggest challenges of the test event was the question of accessibility. Alhough it was not tested in the exact format that will be adopted for the Paralympic Games, Garcia said he was satisfied with the tests. “We implemented some solutions that worked, like the ramps at the exits of the pool”, he said.

With Rio currently experiencing unseasonably warm weather, Parsons said the only concern brought up by the athletes was the possibility of outdoor high temperatures during the Games. “They asked so that at the Paralympic Games they can plan – bettering their hydration or changing the times of activities,” Parsons said.

However, with the Games set to take place in September, which is winter in Brazil, the temperatures should be considerably cooler around the city. The Olympic Aquatics Stadium has an innovative natural ventilation system that will keep it cool while reducing energy usage. After inputting the average Games-time temperatures in the location  into complex mathematical calculations, 15,000 strategically positioned tiny holes were drilled into the structure to ensure a refreshing air-flow.

The outdoor warm-up pool will be encased by a temporary air-conditioned stucture during the Games
(Photo: Rio 2016/ Miriam Jeske)