The mascot, a monk seal which has been unveiled today with six months to go until competition gets underway, is said to represent the unique setting for the Championships which will be hosted on the island of Madeira where a colony of monk seals lives.

The Championships’ talisman is described as a colourful, friendly character complete with goggles on his head, t-shirt and a pair of swimming trunks.

The three names selected by the Funchal 2016 Local Organising Committee to reflect the culture in Madeira are Funcho, Caco and Poncha

Funcho is a Madeiran plant which gave the name to the archipelago's capital Funchal, and is frequently used to make tea, lollipops, sweets and cakes.

Caco is traditional bread well known for its use in local cuisine, while Poncha is a traditional local drink that can be made with local fruits such as passion fruit, banana or pineapple.

Fans can vote for their favourite name through either the IPC Swimming Facebook page, accessible here, by liking the image with their favourite name, or Twitter page, accessible here, by retweeting their choice.

Voting ends at 4pm (CET) on November 6 at which point the name with the most combined likes and retweets will be the winner.

Next year’s Championships are expected to feature around 450 athletes from 50 countries between April 30 and May 7.

The event is organised locally by the Portuguese Swimming Federation and will take place at the Complexo Olimpico de Piscinas da Penteada.

As well as competing for European titles, athletes will also have the chance to test themselves at the last major competition and qualifier ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.



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