Para swimming is one of the original Paralympic sports, debuting at the inaugural Games at Rome 1960. It has since become one of the most popular Paralympic disciplines; athletes with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities can swim, as the sport is straightforward and does not require any specific equipment (prostheses are not allowed).
Breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and the medley all feature on the programme at the Paralympic Games across various distances, apart from middle distance events (800m and 1500m).
Brief overview of the rules
All athletes compete according to their disability classification to ensure that the competition is as fair as possible.
Swimmers start with a dive or directly in the water if their disability prevents them from using a starting platform. Help is given to any swimmers who cannot hold the platform grip on their own.
Athletes with vision impairments are helped by an assistant, who taps the swimmer’s head with a device as they approach the turn(s) or finish of the race.
Eligible impairments
All types of impairment, including intellectual impairments.
Classification
Letter: S (= Swimming)
Number: 1 to 10 = physical impairment / 11 to 13 = vision impairment / 14 = intellectual impairment*. N.B. SB is occasionally used for Breaststroke / SM for Medley.*
