Record number of competitors set for British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships 2025 held at K2 Crawley
The British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships returns to K2 Crawley, West Sussex, on 15-16 November 2025, welcoming a record-breaking entry of over 180 competitors.
Now in its fourth year, the Championships organised by Down Syndrome Swimming Great Britain (DSS-GB) has further established its position as the essential proving ground for British swimmers with Down syndrome, with entries increasing year on year.
The event has rapidly become one of the biggest disability swimming competitions in Europe, attracting unprecedented international attention. This year, the Championships will welcome international swimmers from Canada, USA, New Zealand, Estonia, Egypt, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia, Sweden and Japan, further cementing the British Championships’ place as a respected and highly anticipated annual event in the global swimming calendar.
As the only licensed national competition in the UK exclusively for swimmers with Trisomy 21 and Mosaic Down syndrome, the Championships provides athletes with the opportunity to compete at the highest domestic level under Swim England laws and technical rules of swimming and achieve officially recorded times in front of hundreds of supporters.
Over two days, swimmers aged 10 and above will compete across 44 events spanning distances from 25m to 1500m in all the usual strokes.
Accelerating progress
The 2025 Championships showcases how quickly swimming for athletes with Down syndrome is developing. Many of this year's competitors have been part of the event since its inception; their progression over four years demonstrates what is possible when athletes join swimming clubs and are given the opportunity to train and compete.
A DSS-GB squad has just returned from representing Great Britain at the European Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Portugal, where they have retained their title as European champions.
For newcomers, swimming alongside the DSS-GB squad will offer an inspiring introduction to competitive swimming. Athletes of all abilities are welcomed and supported. The event has become a key date in the diary for swimmers, coaches, and their clubs across the country.
Strong support
The 2025 Championships are supported by the Powerday Foundation – the charitable arm of leading waste management business Powerday – and construction group Keltbray. Local support is provided by Everyone Active, K2 and Crawley Borough Council. Races are generously supported by corporate sponsors with spot prizes provided by Dryrobe®.
With participation continuing to surge and performance standards rising, DSS-GB is looking to work with Aquatics GB and the home nations to explore how the pathway for swimmers with Down syndrome can continue to develop, with the hope of a national classification and the ambition of seeing these athletes compete on the international stage.
Paul Noble MBE, five times Paralympian who won medals in New York 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 said: "By raising the profile of Down syndrome swimming, we're creating environments where all swimmers can thrive, feel valued, and have equal opportunities, regardless of their challenges.” DSS-GB are looking forward to welcoming Paul Noble as lead commentator at the British Championships on his recent return from commentating at the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships 2025 in Singapore.
Professor Jan Burns, Head of Eligibility at Virtus and Chairperson of the Classification Compliance & Oversight Committee at the International Paralympic Committee, who will be attending the Championships, has said: "I'm very much looking forward to attending the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships again. This is the flagship event of the year and will undoubtedly showcase a high level of competition and a very high standard of performance from the athletes. It's an event that I know swimmers with Down syndrome will have trained hard for, and there may be some new records set."
Tara Crossan, Associate Director at Powerday, said: “What DSS-GB continues to achieve with the British Championships is remarkable. They've built an event from the ground up that gives hundreds of swimmers the recognition and opportunities they deserve. Seeing it grow bigger and better each year – and knowing the difference it makes to these athletes – is truly inspiring.”
The British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships 2025 will take place on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th November at K2 Crawley. Find out more information at https://dss-gb.org/sign-up/.