About Disability Swimming

Swimming is open to men and women in all disability groups including physical, visual, intellectual and hearing impairments and is practiced in more than 80 countries.

At the Paralympic Games the eligible classifications are S1-S13. S1-S10 stands for swimmers with a Physical Impairment. S1 are swimmers with the most severe impairments e.g. those with very severe coordination problems in all four limbs or have no use of their legs, trunk, hands and minimal use of their shoulders, through to S10 who have a minimal impairment e.g. a minor limb loss of part of a limb. S11-S13 stands for those with a visual impairment. S11 being swimmers with no vision, S12 being swimmers can recognise the shape of a hand and have some ability to see. S13 swimmers who are the most sighted but are legally considered to be blind.

Swimming rules differ very little from non-disabled swimming. Depending on the impairment some swimmers may start with a dive or in the water. Visually impaired swimmers may have an assistant who will tap them from the end of the pool to warn them that they are approaching the turn or finish of the race.

The Paralympic programme encompasses all strokes and distances up to 400m including relays and individual Medley events.

The Great Britain (GBR) swimming team are current World Champions and have been the most prolific sport in terms of GBR team medals won at the last 5 Paralympic Games.

Following the success of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, British Disability Swimming will be hosting a number of Talent ID days throughout Great Britain to identify new potentially talented athletes.  To find out more about a Talent ID Day in your area click here.

Find out more:

Click on the "Swimmer ID Tracker Form" link in the useful resources section below to download the Swimmer ID Tracker Form

The contact for those interested in taking part in disability swimming is as follows:

British Swimming
Pav. 3, SportPark
3 Oakwood Drive
Loughborough
Leics
LE11 3QF


E-mail: wcpdisabilityswimming@swimming.org

Website: www.swimming.org

To contact British Swimming click on the logo