By David Gold

Cristoph_BurkardJune 24 - Germany's Christoph Burkard has stated his intention to take Croatian Mihovil Spanja's world 100m breaststroke record in next month's International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships in Berlin.


The event sees the pair renew their 12-year long rivalry.

In last year's World Championships in Eindhoven, Spanja took gold in the 100m breastroke SB6 and 400m freestyle.

Burkard was just milliseconds behind in the former though, and is determined to claim victory in Berlin.

"I hope to win the 100m breaststroke in World record time, and then go to London next year and swim faster than ever," he said.

Spanja, who was beaten by Burkard in the 400m freestyle at the Athens Paralympics in 2004, says that he enjoys the rivalry.

"This kind of rivalry is good for sport because it gives you more motivation to get better results in races," he said.

Burkard will also compete against Britain's Sam Hynd, who beat him in the Beijing 2008 400m freestyle.

"Beijing wasn't successful for me," said Burkard.

"The only thing I would change in my career is swimming two seconds faster in the Beijing 400m freestyle and making it to third place."

More than 450 swimmers will go to Berlin for what will be the largest major international swimming competition before next year's London Paralympic Games.

For further information or to buy €5 (£4.50/$7.25) tickets for the IPC Swimming European Championships which takes place from July 3 until 9, please visit www.ecswimming2011.com or follow the Championship's official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ipcswimming

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