30 august 2026 - Para Swimming

Para swimming is practised internationally by athletes in nearly 100 countries and has featured in every edition of the Paralympic Games, growing into one of the biggest and most attractive sports.

Para swimming is open to male and female athletes in all eligible impairment groups who compete in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, medley and relay events.

World Para Swimming, under the governance of the International Paralympic Committee, acts as the international federation for the sport and is based in Bonn, Germany. World Para Swimming uses the same rules as its Olympic counterpart, the International Swimming Federation (FINA), with some modifications where needed. Depending on the event and impairment, the start can be done in many ways, like diving or in the water with a starting device. Holding a rope with the mouth is also possible. There are 3 sport classes for swimmers with a vision impairment. Some swimmers wear blackened goggles, and some have assistant called a tapper who lets the swimmer know the approaching turn or the end of the race. There are 10 sports classes for swimmers with physical impairments. No protheses are allowed during competition.

Para swimming was one of eight sports that made up the sport programme at the first Paralympic Games. At Rome 1960, 77 swimmers – all with spinal cord injuries – from 15 countries competed in 62 medal events.  The maximum distance covered by swimmers was 50m and disciplines included backstroke, breaststroke, crawl(freestyle) and medley for swimmers with complete and incomplete spinal injuries. At Paris 2024, 605 swimmers from 72 nations competed in 141 medal events. A total of 12 distances with various disciplines were performed in Paris. (Freestyle 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m, Backstroke 50m and 100m, Breaststroke 50m and 100m, Butterfly 50m and 100m, Medley 150m and 200m)

In Paris 2024 swimmer Brenden Hall was one of the opening ceremony flag bearers together with wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario, where they were both active as five-time Paralympians.

Brenden Hall was winning a bronze medal (400m freestyle S9) in Paris which made his number of Paralympic swimming medals at 7 (3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze). For Australia the most Paralympic medals were won with Para swimming, in total 27 medals. (6 gold, 8 silver, 13 bronze).

Para swimming, together with Athletics and wheelchair tennis, is one of the popular individual para sports.

Photos: Paralympic Australia, WA swimming