Daniel Dias of Brazil and Jessica Long of the United States are on the road to becoming two of the big names in Swimming of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. With two gold medals each, Dias and Long will go after the podium top again on Tuesday. The third day of competition at the National Aquatics Center starts at 9:00 with the Men's 100m Freestyle - S2 heats.

Dmitry Kokarev of Russia has the best qualifying time for Men's 100m Freestyle S2: 2:18.44. Kokarev already won one gold and set a world and Paralympic record of 4:45.43 in the Men's 200m Freestyle S2. Great Britain's Jim Anderson, silver medalist in the Men's 200m Freestyle S2 will be Kokarev's biggest opponent, coming second in qualification in 2:20.86.

Igor Plotnikov of Russia is the world record holder of Men's 100m Backstroke S6 and comes first in qualification, with a time well ahead of the pack, 1:13.27. China's Tang Yuan already has a silver medal in the Men's 100m Freestyle S6 and comes second in 1:18.22. Just behind Tang is Mateusz Michalski of Poland with the third best time of 1:18.85.

In Women's 100m Backstroke - S6, Nyree Lewisof Great Britain has the world record and swan the best qualifying time of 1:26.90. Jiang Fuying of China comes second in heats with the time of 1:30.53.

Eighteen swimmers will fight for a spot in the final in Men's 100m Freestyle S10. Andre Brasil of Brazil enters the heats in top place, with the world record time of 52.22. Brasil is competing in eight events in total and already won one gold in the Men's 100m Butterfly S10 on Monday. Defending Paralympic champion Benoit Huot of Canada qualified one second behind Brasil, in 53.22.

In Women's 100m Freestyle S10, Ashley Owens of the United States qualified first in this event in 1:02.06. Owens will try to get her first individual gold medal at Paralympic Games, after winning the gold in the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Fellow countrywoman Anna Eames comes right behind in 1:02.20. Canada's Anne Polinario is third with the time of 1:03.10.

Enhamed Enhamed of Spain is the current world record holder in Men's 100m Butterfly S11 and first in the qualification in 1:03.28. Enhamed won the bronze medal in this event in the Athens 2004. Swimmers will also try the hard task of breaking the Paralympic record set by John Morgan of the United States at the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games.

In Men's 100m Butterfly S12, defending champion Raman Makarau of Belarus is the fastest swimmer, with the world record time of 58.21. Makarau will try to win his third gold medal in a row in this event and beat his own Paralympic record of 1:01.83, set at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Makarau's biggest opponent will be compatriot Sergei Punko, who qualified second in 1:00.45.

Women's 100m Butterfly S12 world record holder Joanna Mendak of Poland is by far the fastest swimmer in this event, with the time of 1:03.11. The hard mission to beat Mendak might go to Ana Garcia-Arcicollarof Spain, second in qualification in 1:11.03. Eight out of nine competitors will qualify for the final.

In Men's 200m Freestyle S3, world record holder Li Hanhua of China swam the fastest qualification time of 3:37.06. Silver medalist in the Men's 100m Freestyle - S3 on Sunday, Dmytro Vynohradets of Ukraine has the second time of 3:38.21. Li took bronze in the same event. Due to the fact there are only seven competitors in this event, no heats will be included and all swimmers will progress directly to the final.

In Men's 200m Freestyle S4 Richard Oribe of Spain qualified first in 2:58.97. Oribe might have a less difficult way to claim a medal since the world record holder in this event, Brazil's Clodoaldo Silva, was reclassified into the class S5 for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The strongest swimmer to threaten Oribe is France's David Smetanine, gold medalist in the Men's 100m Freestyle S4 on Sunday.

Daniel Dias of Brazil has the world record time of 2:37.72 in Men's 200m Freestyle S5. Dias will be in search of a place in the podium again, after claiming two golds in the competition, in the Men's 100m Freestyle S5 on Sunday and in the Men's 50m Backstroke - S5 on Monday. Anthony Stephens of Great Britain comes second in 2:43.67 and Sebastian Rodriguez of Spain has the third time of 2:46.94. The seven competitors in this event will not swim heats, progressing directly to the final.

In Women's 200m Freestyle S5, Olena Akopyan of Ukraine swam the best qualification time of 2:52.44. Spain's Maria Teresa Perales come second in 2:52.56. This will be the two swimmers second encounter in the Games. In the Women's 100m Freestyle S5 final on Sunday, Perales won gold and set the world record of 1:16.65, while Akopyan finished fourth. Perales also won a silver medal in the Women's 50m Backstroke S5 on Monday.

In Men's 100m Breaststroke SB7, Sascha Kindred of Great Britain has the world record time of 1:22.77 and will be on the lookout for his second gold medal, after being on the top of the podium of the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM6 on Sunday, setting a world record of 2:42.19. Tomotaro Nakamura of Japan has the second best time of 1:24.91. Despite being fourth in qualification, American Rudy Garcia Tolson will be in quest of his second Paralympic title, after he won gold in the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM7 on Sunday.

In Women's 100m Breaststroke SB7, Jessica Long of the United States has the fastest time and world record of 1:32.52. Long will have the chance to win her third gold medal, after finishing first in the Women's 100m Butterfly S8 and in the Women's 100m Freestyle S8. Heats will not be disputed in this event and the eight competitors will progress directly to the final.

In Men's 100m Breaststroke SB8, defending champion Andriy Kalyna of Ukraine is expected to show a strong performance as he qualified first with the world record time of 1:08.95. Kalyna's closest threaten comes from China's Wang Xiaofu, who has the second best time of 1:14.85. Wang already took a bronze in the Men's 100m Butterfly - S8 and a gold in the Men's 100m Freestyle - S8.

In Women's 100m Breaststroke SB8, Paulina Wozniak of Poland has the top qualification time of 1:25.30. Great Britain's Claire Cashmore comes second in 1:26.61.

(BOCOG September 9, 2008)