Swimming

【Competition Venues:Tokyo Aquatics Centre】

• Overview

  Swimmers compete in classes according to the type and extent of their impairment.

  

  Foot/Feet Start:
  The swimmer shall have some part of the body
  in contact with the wall
  until the starting signal is given.
  The swimmer may be assisted by a Support Staff.

  In Paralympic swimming, seven competition races take place: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, individual medley (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in that order) and, medley and freestyle relays.

  To prevent competitors from hitting the wall, blind and visually impaired swimmers have their coach tap them with a pole called a "tapping device" as they approach the end of the pool to make turns or finish the race. If it is difficult for them to make a diving start, swimmers can start in the water.

  To participate in the Paralympic Games, swimmers must meet the minimum qualification standards set by the World Para Swimming (WPS).Top-class swimmers in the Paralympics Games occasionally set records as fast as those in the Olympics Games.

  History

  Paralympic Swimming has been part of the official programme since the first Paralympics Games in Rome in 1960. In the early years, only wheelchair swimmers participated in this sport, but later, swimmers with amputations, visual impairment or intellectual impairment came to join the races.

  Detail

  Sports Event

  Dicilines	Men	Women
  Freestyle	50m S3・S4・S5・S7・S9・S10 50m S11・S13 100m S4・S5・S6・S8・S10 100m S12 200m S2・S3・S4・S5 200m S14 400m S6・S7・S8・S9・S10 400m S11・S13	50m S4・S6・S8・S10 50m S11・S13 100m S3・S5・S7・S9・S10 100m S11・S12 200m S5 200m S14 400m S6・S7・S8・S9・S10 400m S11・S13
  Backstroke	50m S1・S2・S3・S4・S5 100m S1・S2・S6・S7・S8・S9・S10 100m S11・S12・S13 100m S14	50m S2・S3・S4・S5 100m S2・S6・S7・S8・S9・S10 100m S11・S12・S13 100m S14
  Breaststroke	50m SB2・SB3 100m SB4・SB5・SB6・SB7・SB8・SB9 100m SB11・SB12・SB13 100m SB14	50m SB3 100m SB4・SB5・SB6・SB7・SB8・SB9 100m SB11・SB12・SB13 100m SB14
  Butterfly	50m S5・S6・S7 100m S8・S9・S10 100m S11・S12・S13 100m S14	50m S5・S6・S7 100m S8・S9・S10 100m S13 100m S14
  Individual Medley	150m SM3・SM4 200m SM6・SM7・SM8・SM9・SM10 200m SM11・SM13 200m SM14	150m SM4 200m SM5・SM6・SM7・SM8・SM9・SM10 200m SM11・SM13 200m SM14
  Relay	4x100m Freestyle 34 Points 4x100m Medley 34 Points	4x100m Freestyle 34 Points 4x100m Medley Relay 34 Points
  	Mixed
  	4x50m Freestyle 20 points 4x100m Freestyle S14** 4x100m Freestyle 49 points**

  **Provisional inclusion. Viability of these relay events at the 019 World Championships will determine if theycan be offered at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

  Eligible impairment

  • Limb deficiency (upper and/or lower limb impairment)
  • Visual impairment
  • Intellectual impairment

  (Updated on April 10, 2019)