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Ellie Simmonds, Ollie Hynd lead ParalympicsGB swimming team for Rio 2016

Ellie Simmonds and Ollie Hynd lead a 31-strong ParalympicsGB swimming team for Rio 2016.

Four-time gold medallist Ellie Simmonds and four-time world champion Ollie Hynd have been included in the ParalympicsGB swimming team for Rio 2016.

Simmonds is one of the stars of the 31-strong team after winning gold in the two previous Paralympic Games, while Hynd is in impressive form having won three golds in the IPC Swimming European Championships earlier this month.

Hynd, who races in the S8 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke and SM8 200m medley, now holds Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles at the same time.

"I am so proud to be selected for Rio for ParalympicsGB, it is such an honour," said Hynd. "The competition is getting tougher every time I get in the water but I know how hard I've been training so I can only be confident in my preparations. Rio will be an amazing experience."

Simmonds commented: "It is finally sinking in that I will be going to my third Paralympic Games, and I am so excited. The Paralympic Games is the biggest stage in the world to compete on and I can't wait for the challenge."

Charlotte Henshaw, Claire Cashmore, Sascha Kindred and James Crisp are other familiar faces in the team, while Stephen Clegg, Ellie Robinson and 12-year-old Abby Kane are newcomers to ParalympicGB.

British Para-Swimming head coach Rob Greenwood said: "Over the last two and a half years the selection criteria that has been put in place has been challenging. This year's selection policy was very similar to the one for last year's World Championships where we had 14 outright qualifiers whereas this year we have had 25 and selected 31 athletes.

"Last year we created a clear ethos for the team and that has led to athletes really aspiring to be part of that. It's a really focused group of athletes and there is no complacency at all in terms of being selected and job done. There is a focus around going to the Games and delivering life time best performances."

The Paralympics will begin on September 7 in Rio de Janeiro.

ParalympicsGB swimming team:

Jonathan Booth, Stephen Clegg, Josef Craig, James Crisp, Ryan Crouch, Jon Fox, Tom Hamer, Ollie Hynd, Mikey Jones, Sascha Kindred, Aaron Moores, Andrew Mullen, Scott Quin, Lewis White, Matt Wylie, Jessica-Jane Applegate, Claire Cashmore, Bethany Firth, Charlotte Henshaw, Abby Kane, Tully Kearney, Harriet Lee, Amy Marren, Stephanie Millward, Rebecca Redfern, Ellie Robinson, Susie Rodgers, Hannah Russell, Ellie Simmonds, Stephanie Slater, Alice Tai

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Danielle Joynson
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Promotional shot of British Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds
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