Para Swimming
Paralympic swimming competitions occur in 50-meter pools and athletes will compete in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke and medley events in varying distances. Para Swimming is open to athletes with physical, vision, and intellectual impairments.
Coordination Impairments
Athletes with a Coordination Impairment have one or more of the following three movement disorders that adversely affects the ability to voluntarily produce a full range of skilled movement fluidly, rapidly, and accurately:
- Hypertonia/Spasticity: an increase in muscle tension that may be velocity-dependent and/or a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch.
- Motor Ataxia: limited precision in direction and velocity of voluntary movement.
- Dyskinesia (Athetosis, Dystonia, Chorea): involuntary movements that interfere with voluntary movements.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions that can lead to coordination impairments include Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, and Multiple Sclerosis.
Impaired Muscle Power
Athletes with Impaired Muscle Power have a reduced (or no) ability to contract their muscles to generate force that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting the structure and function of the central or peripheral nervous system or the muscles.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired muscle power include: spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, and spina bifida.
Impaired Passive Range of Motion
Athletes with Impaired Passive Range of Movement have a reduced ability for a joint to be passively moved that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting a structure of bones, joints, connective tissue, or soft tissues.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired passive range of motion include: arthrogryposis and contracture resulting from chronic joint immobilization or trauma affecting a joint.
Limb Deficiency and/or Limb Length Difference
Athletes with Limb Deficiency or Limb Length Difference have a total or partial absence of a limb or anatomically irregular limb dimensions that are consistent with an Underlying Health Condition resulting from trauma (traumatic amputation), illness (example: amputation due to bone cancer), or congenital causes affecting the bones and/or joints (example: dysmelia).
This impairment group can be further divided into the following sub-categories:
- Limb deficiency
- Leg length difference and/or
- Arm length difference
Short Stature
Athletes with Short Stature have reduced total body length (including head, trunk, and legs) as a results of congenitally or developmentally reduced length of the bones of the upper and lower limbs (and may also have reduced trunk length).
Athletes will not be considered to have Short Stature if their reduced total body length is the result of Limb Deficiency or Limb Length Difference only.
Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to Short Stature include achondroplasia, growth hormone dysfunction, and osteogenesis imperfecta.
Vision Impairment
Athletes with Vision Impairment have an Underlying Health Condition affecting the structure or function of the eye, optic nerve, optic chiasm, post chiasma visual pathways, or visual cortex of the brain resulting in reduced or no visual function even when using the best possible refractive or optical correction.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to vision impairments include retinitis pigmentosa and diabetic retinopathy.
Intellectual Impairment
Athletes with an Intellectual Impairment have an Underlying Health Condition causing restriction in general mental functions required to understand and constructively integrate the various mental functions including all cognitive functions and their development over the life span. This impairment must be present before the age of 18.
For more information on Intellectual Impairments, please visit http://www.athleteswithoutlimits.org/eligibility
Entering The Pathway
Getting Started, opens in a new tabGetting started in Para swimming can look different for every athlete depending on their goals and previous experience.
View the following webpage to learn about what swim meets, clinics, and next steps are best for athletes at every level.
Introduction to Para Swimming
Camps, Clinics & Courses, opens in a new tabAthletes interested in beginning their journey in Para Swimming, and parents and coaches interested in learning more about supporting a Para swimmer are encouraged to take the "Introduction and Orientation to Para Swimming" virtual webinar.
Para Open Series Events
Para Swimming Competitions, opens in a new tabThe U.S. Para Swimming Para Open Series meets are a series of accessible swim meets for athletes of all levels and include open categories for athletes.
These meets are a great entry-point for athletes starting in para swimming. Visit the US Para Swimming webpage for a schedule of para swimming competitions both nationally and internationally. Para Open Series meets will be marked as such on the schedule.
Equipment
At minimum, athletes will need the following equipment to compete in Para swimming:
- Swim suit and swim cap
- Goggles
- Tapper (as applicable for visually impaired athletes)
Additional equipment for training purposes can include:
- Kickboard, pull buoy, hand paddles, fins, and snorkel
Para swimming offers National Classification to athletes at different Para swim meets throughout the year. See below for how to get classified in Para swimming and the different classifications in Para swimming. Sport classes in swimming consist of a letter prefix, and a number where the prefix represents the stroke and the number is the specific class. The prefixes are "S" (freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly), "SB" (breaststroke), and "SM" (individual medley events).
Physical Impairments
Physical Impairment Medical Diagnostics Form, opens in a new tabTo secure a national physical impairment classification appointment an athlete needs to register for a swim meet offering a national classification panel. View the Events Offering National Classification.
- Athletes will need to fill out a Physical Impairment Medical Diagnostics Form and email it to NPCUSAClassification@usopc.org at least three weeks prior to the chosen meet start date.
- The athlete's MDF will then be reviewed by USOPC staff and the athlete will be added to the classification schedule if they have an eligible underlying health condition leading to an eligible impairment.
- Athlete's will be given a classification appointment that takes place 1-2 days before the competition where the athlete will undergo both a physical and technical assessment.
- Based on the results of both assessments, athletes will be given a provisional classification that with either be confirmed or altered during competition if they meet the minimum impairment criteria as set by World Para Swimming.
Vision Impairments
National Vision Impairment MDF, opens in a new tabFor National Classification for vision impairments, classification is completed through the submission and review of paperwork. There is no in-person evaluation at the national level.
- See your Ophthalmologist and have them fill out the Vision Impairment Medical Diagnostics Form.
- Submit this form to NPCUSAClassification@usopc.org to request national vision impairment classification.
- Vision impairment classifiers will review the athlete's paperwork and assign the athlete an appropriate class if they meet the minimum impairment criteria as set by World Para Swimming.
- USOPC staff will communicate the outcome to the athlete.
Intellectual Impairments
Begin the Classification Process for Intellectual Impairments, opens in a new tabThe U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has partnered with Athletes Without Limits for all intellectual impairment classifications. Athletes Without Limits determines whether U.S. athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities are eligible for Paralympic competitions. The three main criteria to be eligible for the II-1 sport class of Paralympic competition are:
- IQ of 75 or below (Must be WISC, WAIS, Stanford-Binet or Raven)
- Significant limitations in Adaptive Behavior (Vineland, ABAS, or Other.)
Onset before age 18
Physical Impairment Classes
S1-S10 / SB1-SB9 / SM1-SM10: Athletes with different types of physical impairments compete together, in similar sport classes, because classification in sport is based on how much the impairment affects performance, not on the specific type of impairment.
The impact of the impairment is determined by a point system of the athlete's functional body systems.
The S and SB classes are then determined by the same point system. Athletes can assigned different S and SB classes. An athlete's SM class is calculation based on their S and SM classes.
Visual Impairment Classes
S11-13: Athletes in the S11 class are required to utilize a tapper for safety, while athletes in the S12-13 classes can choose if they want one or not. Athletes with visual impairments are grouped into the following classes:
- S11: Athletes with very low visual acuity or no light perception. Athletes in this class are required to wear blackout goggles.
- S12: Athletes with a higher visual acuity than S11 athletes and/or have a visual field of less than 5 degrees.
- S13: Athletes with the least severe eligible visual impairment.
Intellectual Impairment Classes
S14: Athletes in the S14 class have an intellectual impairment which can lead to various difficulties such as pattern recognition, sequencing, memory, or other difficulties that can impact the athlete's sport performance.
Sport Class Prefixes
In Para swimming, an athlete's sport class is defined by a letter prefix and a number. The letter prefix represents the stroke.
- S: freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly events
- SB: breastroke events
- SM: individual medley events
Exception Codes
Codes of Exception, opens in a new tabDuring a classification appointment, athletes are given one or more codes of exception, which prevents them from being disqualified from an event because of rule infringement due to the nature of their impairment. See below for a full list of codes of exception in swimming. Athletes can be assigned multiple codes of exception depending on their impairment.
USA Swimming Club Locator
USA Swimming Club Locator, opens in a new tabFind a USA Swimming Club near you to begin your journey in para swimming!
U.S. Masters Swimming Club Locator
Masters Club Locator, opens in a new tabAdults can find a U.S. Masters Swimming Club at the link below!
Pathway Progression
2026 Standards, opens in a new tabContinue training and competing at club meets, para open events, and U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships to meet motivational time standards and progress toward national team selection and international competitions, including World Championships and the Paralympics.