#DidYouKnowThat Is Para swimming one of the most popular disciplines in the Paralympic world?
There are four styles that you’ll watch in our Games: freestyle or crol, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. Also, they can go along in medley , individual, and relay styles.
All the races will be developed in a 50 meter pool and the athletes can do it from different positions: stand up from a platform, sitting, or directly inside the water.
SPORTS CLASSIFICATION
This sport has 14 sport classes according to the impairment grade that is indicated with a letter S for freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly; letters SB for breaststroke tests, and letters SM for medleys.
The athletes with a physical impairment will participate in S1 and S10 sport classes. The class S11 is reserved for swimmers with absolute blindness, while in category S12 compete people who have a field of vision under five grades of ratio. In category S13 are swimmers that have a slight visual impairment, with a field of vision under 20 grades of ratio.
Finally, the S14 sport class is for athletes with an intellectual impairment that present a difficulty to recognize patterns, sequencing and memory, or that have a slower capacity of reaction.
HOW TO COMPETE
As it was mentioned before, the start in Para swimming can be carried out inside or outside the water and it’s not allowed the use of prostheses or orthosis in any kind of event.
In the case of visual impairment, S11 class swimmers wear dark glasses to match their competition.
The technical assistants let the competitors know where the end of each side is, touching them with sticks when they’re near the turn point or the arriving point.
Both the Paralympic and Parapan American circuit athletes compete in 50, 100, 150, 200, or 400 meters, depending on the sport class and the styles.
NATIONAL REFERENTS
Valentina Muñoz, who competes in 100 meters breaststroke in S8 category, was a gold medalist in the last Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
Vicente Almonacid won gold in the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games in the 100 meters breaststroke inside SB8 category.
Alberto Abarza, winner of 200 meters freestyle S1-S2; 50 meters backstroke S1 - S2, and 100 meters backstroke S1-S1; he’s also the #Tokyo2020 Paralympic leader in the Class S2 100 meters backstroke competition, becoming one of the greatest in the Americas.
Don’t miss Para swimming in our #Santiago2023 Games from November 18th to 24th at the Centro Acuático, located in Ñuñoa. We’re waiting for you!
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