"VAN" (Sports Desk - 05.09.2026) :: The Paralympic Games are still two years away, but the path to Los Angeles 2028 for hundreds of Para swimmers runs through Kocaeli, Turkiye, where 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 events, in what will be the largest Para swimming event of the year and largest single international Para sport event ever held in Turkiye.
Since the inaugural edition in Reykjavik, Iceland 17 years ago, the European Championships have been a stage for emerging athletes who later become Paralympic medallists, competing alongside household names seeking to add more medals to their collection.
One of the stars of Kocaeli 2026, Simone Barlaam fits into both categories. In his European Championships debut at Dublin 2018, he claimed four gold and one silver medals as Italy climbed to the top three of the medal standings for the first time. Since then, he moved from newcomer to athlete to beat – and an inspiration to young swimmers in his country and around the world.
“I broke my first world record at a European Championships, in Dublin 2018; it is a really special event for me,” said Barlaam, who has earned 15 medals in three editions of the Euros, 12 of them gold. “Now I’m not that young anymore, but I really enjoy coming to new places, a new pool, meeting new people. The pool looks really good and fast, I’m looking forward to these European Championships. I hope people in Turkiye will enjoy watching some great swimming.”
Hosts Turkiye will be targeting a historic top-10 finish at the Euros for the first time, spearheaded by an athlete with an unusual profile: Defne Kurt, a five-time world champion making her European Championships debut. From competing as a non-Para swimmer at the short-course World Aquatics Championships to representing her country in Para swimming, a lot has happened – and Kurt says she is grateful for the opportunity 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 conference 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 edition 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 said.
“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.”
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 of competition will see 26 sets of medals up for grabs, with the first gold being awarded in the men's 400m freestyle S8.
European Championships history
2009 – Reykjavik, Iceland
2011 – Berlin, Germany
2014 – Eindhoven, Netherlands
2016 – Funchal, Portugal
2018 – Dublin, Ireland
2020 – Madeira, Portugal
2024 – Madeira Portugal
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