Posted on Saturday 29th July, 2023

The 2023 World Para Swimming Championships take place in Manchester, UK, from Monday 31 July to Sunday 6 August! Find out below who is competing from NZ and how to watch and support.

What is the World Para Swimming Championships?

The World Para Swimming Championships are the world championships for swimming where disabled athletes compete. They are organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). As well as offering the highest level of competition outside of a Paralympic Games, competing here is an important step towards nomination and qualification for the summer Paralympics.

Who will compete?

Six New Zealanders will compete at the 2023 Championships. Click on their names to find out more about them.

Paralympian #201 Tupou Neiufi, Pukekohe Swim Club

  • · 100m Backstroke (S8)
  • · 50m, 100m Freestyle (S8)

Classification: S8, SB8, SM8

Tupou raises a hand in victory following her race

Paralympian #205 Jesse Reynolds, Hamilton Aquatics

  • · 100m Backstroke (S9)

Classification: S9, SB8, SM9

Jesse looks up from the pool

Paralympian #164 Cameron Leslie, Whangarei

  • · 50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle (S4)
  • · 50m Backstroke (S4)

Classification:  S4, SB4, SM4

Cameron Leslie raises an arm from the pool, sticking his tongue out cheekily

Para athlete Lili-Fox Mason, Wharenui

  • · 100m Butterfly (S10)
  • · 400m Freestyle (S10)

Classification: S10, SB9, SM10

Lili-Fox Mason looks serious as she puts on her goggles

Para athlete Gabriella Smith, Vikings

  • · 400m Freestyle (S10)
  • · 100m Breaststroke (SB9)
  • · 200m Individual Medley (SM10)

Classification: S10, SB9, SM10

Gaby smiles in the pool at the end of the race

Para athlete Joshua Willmer, Pukekohe

  • · 100m Breaststroke (SB8)

Classification: S9, SB8, SM9

Joshua comes out of the water with a hopeful look on his face at the end of a race

See also this Swimming New Zealand article “Para Swimmers Excited to Make Their Mark at Manchester 2023 World Championships” to learn more about the Para swimmers.

How to watch the World Para Swimming Championships

All the action is live on TVNZ+. You can access TVNZ+ on most smart TVs, via your internet browser or via the TVNZ+ app on your device. Navigate to “Sport” and you’ll see the World Para Swimming Championships in “Live and Upcoming”.

Side note: the live action is produced for an international audience and we can’t guarantee that all Kiwi performances will be covered.

Find World Para Swimming Championships results

Swimming New Zealand are sharing the action as it happens on the Swimming NZ social media.

You can find full results on this World Para Swimming page.

Schedule: when to watch the Kiwis compete

To save you time, we’ve calculated the times in NZST of the Kiwi Para swimmers’ events. Tune in to TVNZ+ at the times below to catch the New Zealanders in action!

Disclaimer: while we’ve done our best to make this schedule accurate, to make sure you’ve got the latest info, please check the live schedule on the World Para Swimming pages.

Para athleteEventDayTime in NZSTResults
Tupou Neiufi Women's 100m Backstroke S8TueHeat 1st Aug 8pm - 11.15pm
Finals 2nd Aug 4.30am - 8.15am
Bronze
Tupou Neiufi Women's 50m Freestyle S8FriHeat 4th Aug 9.02pm est
Finals 5th Aug 5.15am est
7th in final
Jesse Reynolds Men's 100m Backstroke S9SatHeat 5th Aug 10.20pm est
Finals 6th Aug 6.39am est
4th
Cameron Leslie Men's 50m Freestyle S4FriHeat 4th Aug 8.56pm est
Finals 5th Aug 5.11am est
Silver
Cameron Leslie Men's 100m Freestyle S4TueFinals 2nd Aug 4.30am - 8.15am Silver
Cameron Leslie Men's 200m Freestyle S4SunHeat 6th Aug 9.24pm est
Finals 7th Aug 5.17am est
Bronze
Cameron Leslie Men's 50m Backstroke S4ThuHeat 3rd Aug 8.51pm est
Finals 4th Aug 5.53am est
Gold
Lili-Fox Mason Women's 100m Butterfly S10FriHeat 4th Aug 8.42pm est
Finals 5th Aug 5.00am est
8th in final
Lili-Fox Mason Women's 400m Freestyle S10WedHeat 2nd Aug 9.19pm est
Finals 3rd Aug 6.38am est
14th in heat
Gabriella Smith Women's 400m Freestyle S10WedHeat 2nd Aug 9.19pm est
Finals 3rd Aug 6.38am est
8th in final
Gabriella Smith Women's 100m Breaststroke SB9MonHeat 31st Jul 8pm - 11.30pm
Finals 1 Aug 4.30am - 8.15am
7th in final
Gabriella Smith Women's 200m Individual Medley SM10TueHeat 1st Aug 8pm - 11.15pm
Finals 2nd Aug 4.30am - 8.15am
5th in heat
Joshua Wilmer Men's 100m Breaststroke SB8SunHeat 6th Aug 8.12pm est
Finals 7th Aug 4.39am est
6th in final + NZ record