Paralympic Swimming Participant Classification

Athletes with physical and visual disabilities compete in the different fields of the Paralympic Games. Twenty sports events make up the program of the Summer Paralympic Games. One of these events is swimming and, hence, is called Paralympic swimming.

But Paralympic swimming is also played in sports competitions for the physically- and visually-impaired athletes in many countries. Its rules conform with those outlined by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), most of which are similar to those applied in competitions for able-bodied athletes.

Paralympic swimming participants are grouped into six categories: amputee, visually impaired, wheelchair, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and all other physical disabilities not falling strictly within any one of the first five mentioned. The participants are further classified according to their varying level of disability. This is necessary to ensure that every event will be among swimmers with the same level of function.

The three main groupings are as follows:

1. 1 to 10 - for the physically impaired, with S1 being the most severe and S10 the least.

2. 11 to 13 - for the visually impaired, S11 the most severe and S13 the least.

3. 14 - for those with learning difficulty (this group, however, is not currently included in the Paralympic Games).


The groupings are assigned with prefixes to further distinguish the classes:

• S - for the class earmarked for the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events.

• SB - for the class earmarked for the breaststroke event.

• SM - for the class earmarked for individual medley.

Here are a few examples of how competitors in Paralympic swimming are classified. The examples given are the most and least severe classes of each of the first two of the three groupings. Keep in mind, as stated previously, that the severity of the disability decreases as the classes go up in rank.

Group 1:

• Classes S1, SB1, and SM1 - These include swimmers with severe coordination problems in both legs, both hands, and trunk; they have very little use of their shoulders. Usually they are wheelchair bound and may rely on others for much of their needs.

• Classes S10, SB9 and SM10 - In these classes are swimmers considered to have the most physical ability. They include those with limitation of movement of the hip joint, those whose legs are minimally affected by weakness, those missing either of the hands, those with either of the legs amputated below the knee, or those with misshapen feet.

Group 2:

• Classes S11, SB11 and SM11 - Included in these classes are swimmers who are completely sightless. They are required to wear blackened goggles while competing. With the use of a pole, persons designated as "tappers" will tap the swimmers to let them know they are nearing the wall and thus must prepare for the turn.

• Classes S13, SB13 and SM13 - Swimmers in these classes are the most sighted, although they are still legally considered blind. Qualification for competing in these classes is as per visual category B3, as defined by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).

Group 3, which has classes S14, SB14 and SM14 under it, includes swimmers with recognized intellectual impairment. Again, this group has been excluded in the Paralympic Games.