However, there is no place for David Roberts, who won three individual gold's and a fourth in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay in 2008.

Simmonds won the 100m and 400m freestyle events in the S6 disability class at the Beijing Games and currently holds world titles in those two events in addition to the 50m distance and the 200m individual medley.

The 17-year-old has made the Paralympic qualifying standard in all four events.

Selection

She heads up an initial selection which includes Sascha Kindred - returning for his fifth Games - and fellow Beijing medallists Matt Walker, Robert Welbourn, Heather Frederikson, Jon Fox and Claire Cashmore.

Kindred's wife Nyree - who won 100m backstroke silver in China under her maiden name of Lewis - is among 26 further swimmers who have been nominated for selection subject to the International Paralympic Committee's final allocation of places.

That list features several further Beijing medallists in veteran Jim "the Swim" Anderson, Liz Johnson, Natalie Jones, Sam Hynd - whose brother Oliver is in the initial 16 - Matthew Whorwood, Sean Fraser and Graham Edmunds, yet Roberts misses out altogether.

Simmonds said: "I am so excited to be part of the ParalympicsGB team for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. I have worked really hard for the past four years to qualify and I couldn't be happier now I have done that.

"The London Games are a once in a lifetime opportunity. Beijing was really special for me but I think walking out in front of 17,000 people and hearing them cheer us on will be even better."

Selection

Sascha Kindred added: "I'm very happy to be selected for my fifth Paralympic Games. Competing in this pool in March gave me a taste of how amazing the home crowd will be and I can't wait to see the seats full of people supporting the British team and cheering us on."

ParalympicsGB chef de mission Craig Hunter said: "Swimming has historically been a sport in which British Paralympians excel and the team have produced some outstanding performances at World and European level since Beijing.

"While we need to wait until June for the formal confirmation of the full team, with such a strong squad announced today I am confident that they will continue their impressive record in London and I am looking forward to seeing them all compete for ParalympicsGB."

The GB team's haul of 41 medals in Beijing, including 11 golds, put them fourth on the Paralympic swimming medal table and saw them build on similarly impressive performances at Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000.