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Para swimming is an adaptation of the
Significant differences between able-bodied and para swimming include the starting position and adaptations allowed for visually impaired swimmers. Competitors may start a race by standing on a platform and diving into the pool, as in non-disabled swimming, or by sitting on the platform and diving in, or they may start the race in the water. In events for the blind and visually impaired, people called "tappers" may stand at the end of the pool and use a pole to tap the swimmers when they approach the wall, indicating when the swimmer should turn or end the race. No prostheses or assistive devices may be worn during competition.
Swimmers are classified according to the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows swimmers to compete against others with a similar level of function.
Swimmers with physical disabilities are allocated a category between 1 and 10, with 1 corresponding to the most severe types of disability. Physical disabilities of para swimmers include single or multiple limb loss (through
World Para Swimming
{{Racing Swimming
Para swimming is an adaptation of the sport
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
of swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
for athletes with disabilities. Para swimmers compete at the Summer Paralympic Games and at other sports competitions throughout the world. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee. Both men and women compete in para swimming, racing against competitors of their own gender. Swimming has been a part of the Paralympic program since the 1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...
in Rome, Italy.
Rules
Rules for the sport are adapted from those set forth by theInternational Swimming Federation
FINA (french: Fédération internationale de natation, en, International Swimming Federation, link=yes) (to be renamed as World Aquatics by ) is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administer ...
(FINA). Swimmers compete individually in backstroke
Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimm ...
, breaststroke, butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
, freestyle, individual medley
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles—backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle—into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley (IM) or by four swimmers as a medley relay.
Individual m ...
, and as teams in relay race
A relay race is a racing competition where members of a team take turns completing parts of racecourse or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games. Relay races are common in running, oriente ...
s. At the Paralympics, World Championships and other elite level competitions, swimmers compete in an Olympic-size swimming pool
An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cour ...
.
Significant differences between able-bodied and para swimming include the starting position and adaptations allowed for visually impaired swimmers. Competitors may start a race by standing on a platform and diving into the pool, as in non-disabled swimming, or by sitting on the platform and diving in, or they may start the race in the water. In events for the blind and visually impaired, people called "tappers" may stand at the end of the pool and use a pole to tap the swimmers when they approach the wall, indicating when the swimmer should turn or end the race. No prostheses or assistive devices may be worn during competition.
Classification
Swimmers are classified according to the type and extent of their disability. The classification system allows swimmers to compete against others with a similar level of function.
Swimmers with physical disabilities are allocated a category between 1 and 10, with 1 corresponding to the most severe types of disability. Physical disabilities of para swimmers include single or multiple limb loss (through birth defect
A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities ca ...
s and/or amputation), cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
, spinal cord injuries
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...
(leading to paralysis or disability in limb coordination), dwarfism, and disabilities which impair the use of joints.
Blind and visually impaired swimmers compete within separate categories, being allocated to categories 11, 12 or 13. Category 11 corresponds to totally blind swimmers, while competitors in category 12 have severe but not total visual impairment. Category 11 swimmers compete with blackened goggles to ensure competitors are on an even level. Category 11 swimmers are also required to use tappers but they are optional for categories 12 and 13.
Swimmers with mental disabilities compete in category 14, while deaf and hearing impaired swimmers compete in category 15.
Numbers are combined with a letter prefix depending on the event type. An "S" prefix corresponds to freestyle, backstroke
Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimm ...
and butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
, while "SB" corresponds to breaststroke and "SM" to the medley. Hence, a swimmer with severe physical disabilities competing in backstroke may compete in an S3 event, while a blind swimmer in the medley would compete in class SM11.
For relay races, athletes from different classifications compete together, but the sum of their individual classifications must not exceed a given points total. For example, a relay team for a 34 points freestyle relay may consist of two S8 swimmers and two S9 swimmers (9 + 9 + 8 + 8 = 34), or an S10 swimmer and three S8 swimmers (10 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 34)
Events
Swimming at the Summer ParalympicsWorld Para Swimming Championships
The World Para Swimming Championships, known before 30 November 2016 as the IPC Swimming World Championships, are the world championships for swimming where athletes with a disability compete. They are organised by the International Paralympic C ...
World Para Swimming European Championships
The World Para Swimming European Championships (World Para Swimming European Open Championships), known until 2018 as the IPC Swimming European Championships, are the European continental championships for swimming
Swimming is the self-propul ...
Para Swimming World Series
Para, or PARA, may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Paramount Global, traded as PARA on the Nasdaq stock exchange
* Para Group, the former name of CT Corp
* Para Rubber, now Skellerup, a New Zealand manufacturer
* Para USA, formerly ...
- Since 2017.
Para Swimming World Series
Source:Para Swimming World Series
Para, or PARA, may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Paramount Global, traded as PARA on the Nasdaq stock exchange
* Para Group, the former name of CT Corp
* Para Rubber, now Skellerup, a New Zealand manufacturer
* Para USA, formerly ...
2017
Source: 2017 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen 2017 World Para Swimming World Series 11-12 March #São Paulo, Brazil São Paulo 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - Loterias Caixa Swimming Open Championships 21-23 April #Sheffield, Great Britain Sheffield 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - British Para Swimming International Meet 27-30 April #Indianapolis, USA Indianapolis 2017 World Para Swimming World Series 9-11 June #Berlin, Germany Berlin 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften Swimming Berlin 6-9 July2018
Source: 2018 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Copenhagen, Denmark 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 2-4 March #Indianapolis, USA 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 19-21 April #São Paulo, Brazil 2018 World Para Swimming World Series Loterias Caixa Swimming Open Championships 26-28 April #Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 24-27 May #Sheffield, Great Britain 2018 World Para Swimming World Series British Para Swimming International Meet 31 May-3 June #Berlin, Germany 2018 World Para Swimming World Series Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften Swimming Berlin 7-10 June2019
Source: 2019 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Melbourne, Australia – 15-17 February 2019 #Indianapolis, USA – 4-6 April 2019 #São Paulo, Brazil – 26-28 April 2019 #Glasgow, Great Britain – 25-28 April 2019 #Singapore – 10-12 May 2019 #Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy – 30 May-2 June 2019 #Berlin, Germany – 6-9 June 20192020
Source: 2020 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Melbourne, Australia 14-16 February 2020 #Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 27 February -1 March 2020 (CANCELLED) #São Paulo, Brazil 25 -28 March 2020 (CANCELLED) #Sheffield, Great Britain 9-12 April 2020 (CANCELLED) #Indianapolis, USA 16-18 April 2020 (CANCELLED) #Singapore, 1-3 May 2020 (CANCELLED) #Berlin, Germany 2020 15-18 October 2020 (new dates)2021
Source: 2021 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Sheffield 2021 World Series, Great Britain; 8 – 11 April #Lewisville 2021 World Series, USA; 15 - 17 April #Lignano Sabbiadoro 2021 World Series, Italy; 17 - 18 April #Berlin 2021 World Series, Germany; 17 – 20 June2022
Source: 2022 World Para Swimming World Series City, country Name Date #Para Swimming World Series Great Britain 17–20 February Aberdeen #Para Swimming World Series Australia 18-20 February Melbourne #Para Swimming World Series Italy 11-13 March Lignano Sabbiadoro #Para Swimming World Series Germany 31 March-3 April Berlin #Para Swimming World Series USA 7-9 April IndianapolisNotable para swimmers
*Daniel Dias
Daniel de Faria Dias (born 24 May 1988) is a Brazilian Paralympic swimmer. Having learnt to swim in 2004 after being inspired by Clodoaldo Silva at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, he entered his first international competition two years later winni ...
* Jessica Long
Jessica Tatiana Long (born February 29, 1992) is a Russian-American Paralympic swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland, who competes in the S8, SB7 and SM8 category events. She has held many world records and competed at five Paralympic Games, winnin ...
* Ellie Simmonds
* Trischa Zorn
* Brad Snyder
* Zheng Tao
See also
*World Disabled Swimmers of the Year
''Swimming World'' Swimmers of the Year is awarded by the American-based ''Swimming World''. There are seven categories: World Swimmer, American Swimmer, European Swimmer, Pacific Rim Swimmer, World Disabled Swimmer, African Swimmer, and Open Wat ...
* :World record holders in paralympic swimming
*Disability sport classification
Disability sports classification is a system that allows for fair competition between people with different types of disabilities.
Historically, the process has been overseen by 2 groups: specific disability type sport organizations that cover mul ...
* Swimming at the Summer Paralympics
References
External links
World Para Swimming
{{Racing Swimming
Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...