Freestyle Swimming Competition

Swimming offers many of the same events for athletes with physical disabilities as for their non-disabled counterparts. With modifications made to accommodate specific disabilities and competition within classification groups, athletes are able to compete on a level playing field and enjoy a high level of competition. While competing, prosthetics and assistive devices may not be worn. A complete listing of classification groups can be found on the WSUSA website at http://www.wsusa.org.

The junior division of swimming is organized along the same parameters as athletics:

• Futures: 6 Years and under
• Division A: 7 - 9 Years
• Division B: 10 - 12 Years
• Division C: 13 - 15 Years
• Division D: 16 - 18 Years
• Division E: 19 - 21 Years

Each year, WSUSA sanctions the National Junior Wheelchair Championships. Athletes compete against each other within the proper age and classification groups.

Events for disabled swimming include:

• 25m, 50m, and 100m Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly
• 200m and 400m Freestyle
• 400m
• 4 x 25m, 3 x 25m, 4 x 50m, and 3 x 50m Individual Medley

Who Can Participate

Swimming is available to athletes in the following categories:

• dwarfs*
• amputees
• blind/visually impaired
• spinal cord injured/wheelchair
• cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke
• les autres

NCHPAD Resource:

• Swimming Factsheet - http://www.ncpad.org/16/85/Swimming

*Note: "Dwarf" is the official term used by the International Paralympic Committee to identify people of short stature.