Picture taken from under water of a male athlete without legs swimming
Move United /

Swimming

Swimming

Swimming

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, swimming has been one of the Games’ main sports.

 

The thrill of competition aside, swimming offers many benefits including strengthening the cardiovascular systems and the major muscle groups of both the upper and lower body. It also develops flexibility in the muscles and joints as the swimmer performs a wide range of motion against the water’s resistance. It is an activity that keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the stress that is common in impact sports off the body; injuries don’t occur as easily.

 

“Water is one of the big equalizers,” said Queenie Nichols, long-time Paralympic swim coach. “One of the phrases I heard since I got involved in this is that we are all equal in the water and that is really true. Athletes with disabilities, from below-knee amputations to severe quads, can compete and compete successfully.”

 

Swimming Competition Fast Facts

  • USA Swimming Clubs each have a Local Swimming Committee (LSC) with a Disability Swimming chair who can be called on to provide information.
  • Paralympic swimmers are classified based on their impairments and grouped into three impairment groups – physical, intellectual and vision.
    • There are 14 different classes that cover the three impairment groups.
      • S1 to S10: Swimmers with physical impairments.
      • S11 to S13: Swimmers with visual impairments.
      • S14: Swimmers with intellectual impairments.
    • An athlete’s classification may change for different swimming strokes because the nature of their impairment may affect their ability to perform a particular stroke.
  • Swimming is governed and coordinated by World Para Swimming (WPS) which incorporates the rules of the International Swimming Federation (FINA). The FINA rules are followed with a few modifications, such as optional platform or in-water starts for some races and the use of signals or ‘tappers’ for swimmers with blindness/visual impairment; however, no prostheses or assistive devices are permitted.

 

For more information on adaptive swimming, check out the feature article in the Fall 2018 issue of the Move United magazine here.

Swimming Competition Resources

Rules and Regulations of Swimming

Nationals Qualifying Criteria, Standards, and National Records

The Hartford Nationals Qualifying Criteria:

During the qualification period, the athlete may meet standard(s) by:

  1. Participating in a Move United sanctioned swim meet
  2. Participating in a USA Swimming, YMCA, NCAA, and/or high school sanctioned swim meet and reporting official results.

The Hartford Nationals Qualifying Standards and National Records

National Governing Body, International Federation, and Swim Club Information