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Para swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming 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 in Rome, Italy.

Rules

Rules for the sport are adapted from those set forth by the International Swimming Federation (FINA). Swimmers compete individually in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley, and as teams in relay races. At the Paralympics, World Championships and other elite level competitions, swimmers compete in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

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 defects and/or amputation), cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries (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 and butterfly, 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 Paralympics
• World Para Swimming Championships
• World Para Swimming European Championships
• Para Swimming World Series

Para Swimming World Series

Source:

The World Series was launched in 2017.

1. 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - 5 Meetings
2. 2018 World Para Swimming World Series - 6 Meetings
3. World Para Swimming World Series 2019 - 7 Meetings
4. World Para Swimming World Series 2020 - 7 Meetings (5 of 7 was cancelled)
5. World Para Swimming - World Series 2021 - 4 Meetings
6. World Para Swimming - World Series 2022 - 6 Meetings
7. World Para Swimming - World Series 2023 - 8 Meetings

2017

Source:

2017 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen 2017 World Para Swimming World Series 11-12 March
2. São Paulo, Brazil São Paulo 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - Loterias Caixa Swimming Open Championships 21-23 April
3. Sheffield, Great Britain Sheffield 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - British Para Swimming International Meet 27-30 April
4. Indianapolis, USA Indianapolis 2017 World Para Swimming World Series 9-11 June
5. Berlin, Germany Berlin 2017 World Para Swimming World Series - Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften Swimming Berlin 6-9 July

2018

Source:

2018 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Copenhagen, Denmark 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 2-4 March
2. Indianapolis, USA 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 19-21 April
3. São Paulo, Brazil 2018 World Para Swimming World Series Loterias Caixa Swimming Open Championships 26-28 April
4. Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 2018 World Para Swimming World Series 24-27 May
5. Sheffield, Great Britain 2018 World Para Swimming World Series British Para Swimming International Meet 31 May-3 June
6. Berlin, Germany 2018 World Para Swimming World Series Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften Swimming Berlin 7-10 June

2019

Source:

2019 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Melbourne, Australia – 15-17 February 2019
2. Indianapolis, USA – 4-6 April 2019
3. São Paulo, Brazil – 26-28 April 2019
4. Glasgow, Great Britain – 25-28 April 2019
5. Singapore – 10-12 May 2019
6. Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy – 30 May-2 June 2019
7. Berlin, Germany – 6-9 June 2019

2020

Source:

2020 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Melbourne, Australia 14-16 February 2020
2. Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 27 February -1 March 2020 (CANCELLED)
3. São Paulo, Brazil 25 -28 March 2020 (CANCELLED)
4. Sheffield, Great Britain 9-12 April 2020 (CANCELLED)
5. Indianapolis, USA 16-18 April 2020 (CANCELLED)
6. Singapore, 1-3 May 2020 (CANCELLED)
7. Berlin, Germany 2020 15-18 October 2020 (new dates)

2021

Source:

2021 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Sheffield 2021 World Series, Great Britain; 8 – 11 April
2. Lewisville 2021 World Series, USA; 15 - 17 April
3. Lignano Sabbiadoro 2021 World Series, Italy; 17 - 18 April
4. Berlin 2021 World Series, Germany; 17 – 20 June

2022

Source:

2022 World Para Swimming World Series

City, country Name Date

1. Para Swimming World Series Great Britain 17–20 February Aberdeen
2. Para Swimming World Series Australia 18-20 February Melbourne
3. Para Swimming World Series Italy 11-13 March Lignano Sabbiadoro
4. Para Swimming World Series Germany 31 March-3 April Berlin
5. Para Swimming World Series USA 7-9 April Indianapolis

2023

Source:

1. Citi Para Swimming World Series Australia 17-19 February
2. Citi Para Swimming World Series Lignano Sabbiadoro 9-12 March
3. Citi Para Swimming World Series Great Britain 16–19 March
4. Citi Para Swimming World Series USA 20-22 April
5. Citi Para Swimming World Series Singapore 29 April-1 May
6. Citi Para Swimming World Series Berlin 11-14 May
7. Citi Para Swimming World Series France 26-28 Ma
8. Citi Para Swimming World Series Mexico 5-8 October

Notable para swimmers

• Ellie Cole
• Daniel Dias
• Jessica Long
• Ellie Simmonds
• Trischa Zorn
• Brad Snyder
• Zheng Tao

See also

• World Disabled Swimmers of the Year
• Category:World record holders in paralympic swimming
• Disability sport classification
• Swimming at the Summer Paralympics

References

1. ^ "U.S. Paralympics". Team USA. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
2. "Swimming - About the sport". International Paralympic Committee. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
3. ^ "A-Z of Paralympic classification". BBC. 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
4. "World Para Swimming Classification & Categories - SB9, SM8". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
5. Swimming Australia (July 2013). "Classification Policy". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 2018-04-06.
6. "Swimming: Paralympic Classifications". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
7. "Swimming Competition Schedule - Calendar of Events".
8. "SDMS".
9. "Para Swimming Rankings".
10. "Swimming Results, Records & Rankings | World Para Swimming".
11. "Para Swimming (formerly IPC Swimming) - About the Sport". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
12. "2023 Para World Swimming Series". Archived from the original on 2023-03-06.
13. "World Series Italia – World series Paraswimming Lignano 9-12 Marzo 2023".
14. "Revamped Para Swimming World Series Announced for 2023". 26 July 2022.
15. "Citi Para Swimming World Series inc. British Para-Swimming Meet 2023".
16. "U.S. Paralympics Swimming". Archived from the original on 2020-07-21.
17. "Citi Para Swimming World Series Singapore 2023 – SDSC".
18. "2017 World Para Swimming World Series".
19. "2018 World Para Swimming World Series".
20. "2019 World Para Swimming World Series".
21. "2020 World Para Swimming World Series".
22. "2021 World Para Swimming World Series".
23. "Para Swimming World Series 2022".
24. "Citi Para Swimming World Series 2023".

External links

• World Para Swimming

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