Sport and Recreation for people with physical disabilities

Phone (03) 385 4449        Fax (03) 385 4425       Email info@parafedcanterbury.co.nz

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, swimming has been one of the main sports of the Paralympic Games. As in the Olympics, Paralympic athletes compete in the same events although, the number of events available to them depends on their function.  

The timing systems used in swimming is identical to the timing systems used at the Olympic Games.

Men and women from all disability groups compete in different classes depending on their level of function. There are sub classes for breaststroke (SB) and individual medley (SM).

Classification Overview

Athletes are classified based on their functional ability to perform each stroke:

- The prefix ‘S’ is for the class allocated for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly.

- The prefix ‘SB’ is for the class allocated for breaststroke.

- The prefix ‘SM’ is for Individual Medley