Para swimming caters to athletes with a wide range of impairments, including:

• Visual Impairments
• Intellectual Impairments
• Neurological Impairments
• Dwarfism
• Amputees
• Wheelchair users

How the Sport Works

Para swimming is open to male and female athletes across all eligible impairment groups. Athletes compete in various swimming disciplines, including:

• Backstroke
• Breaststroke
• Butterfly
• Freestyle
• Medley
• Relay events

Distances range from 50m to 1500m, although not all events are available to all disability groups at every Paralympic Games.

Historic Paralympic Representation

Para swimming is one of the most internationally practiced sports, with athletes competing in nearly 100 countries. It has been a feature of every edition of the Paralympic Games and continues to grow in size and popularity.

At the 1960 Rome Paralympic Games, the sport debuted with 77 swimmers from 15 countries. By the 2016 Rio Paralympics, participation had grown to 593 swimmers from 79 countries, competing in 152 medal events.