Para Swimming

Eligible Impairments: athetosis, ataxia, hypertonia, impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of motion, leg length difference, limb deficiency, short stature, intellectual impairment, vision impairment.

Description: swimming has events for all of the impairment types that are eligible for the Paralympic Games. Athletes with all physical impairment types compete against each other, whilst there are separate events for those with vision and intellectual impairment. There are 14 Sport Classes, 10 for physical impairments, 3 for vision impairment and 1 for intellectual impairment. Sport Classes begin with “S” for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly events, “SB” for breaststroke and “SM” for medley.

Sport Class structure: 

• S/SB/SM1-10: for athletes with physical impairment that impacts the upper and/or lower limbs and trunk. Athletes in the S1 have the greatest level of impairment and S10 the lowest.
• S/SB/SM11-13: for athletes with vision impairment. Athletes in S11 have the greatest level of impairment and S13 the lowest.
• S/SB/SM14: for athletes with intellectual impairment.