World Para Swimming European Championships to debut in Türkiye

Türkiye will host the World Para Swimming (WPS 2026) European Championships for the first time on September 7, Anadolu Agency reports.

The tournament for senior athletes will begin in Gebze, in Türkiye’s Kocaeli province.

More than 400 swimmers from 38 countries will compete in the championships, with medals to be contested at the Gebze Olympic Swimming Pool. The tournament will run through September 12.

Türkiye’s national team will be represented by 25 athletes — 15 women and 10 men. The squad includes Cemre Ateş, Ceren Yergezen, Elif İldem, Sevilay Öztürk, Baran Doruk Şimşek, Muhammed Mustafa Karagün and others.

Throughout their history of competing at the European Championships, Turkish para swimmers have won 26 medals — four gold, nine silver and 13 bronze. At the previous edition in 2024, they achieved their best-ever result, winning 12 medals.

Previous European Championships were hosted by Reykjavik, Berlin, Eindhoven, Funchal, Dublin and Madeira. In 2026, Gebze became the first Turkish venue to host the competition.

By Jeyhun Aghazada