Classification
Who is eligible to compete in Para-swimming?
| Intellectual Impairment |
Yes |
| Physical Impairment |
Yes |
| Vision Impairment |
Yes |
What is an intellectual impairment?
An intellectual impairment is a limitation in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills, which develops before the age of 18.
What is a physical impairment?
A physical impairment is an impairment affecting the physical body and relates to one or more of the conditions listed below:
- Ataxia
- Athetosis
- Hypertonia
- Impaired muscle power
- Impaired passive range of movement
- Leg length difference
- Limb deficiency
- Short stature
What is a vision impairment?
A vision impairment is an impairment of the eye structure, optical nerves or pathways, or visual cortex, which impacts the vision in both eyes.
What are the classes?
Athletes are classified based on their functional ability.
Athletes are given classifications with the prefix ‘S’ for backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events, ‘SB’ for breaststroke events and ‘SM’ for medley events.
| S1-10, SB1-10, SM1-10 |
Athletes with a physical impairment |
| S11-13, SB11-13, SM11-13 |
Athletes with a vision impairment |
| S14, SB14, SM14 |
Athletes with an intellectual impairment |
| Not Eligible (NE) |
Does not have an eligible impairment type and/or meet the minimum impairment criteria for Para-swimming |
For more information, view the Para-swimming Classification Information Sheet (updated Nov 2019)
How do I get classified?
| Intellectual Impairment |
Click here to find out more about seeking a Para-swimming classification. |
| Physical Impairment |
Click here to find out more about seeking a Para-swimming classification. |
| Vision Impairment |
Click here to find out more about seeking a Para-swimming classification. |
Classification Masterlist
Swimming Australia manages the National Para-swimming Classification Masterlist. This list includes athletes who have been classified in accordance with World Para-swimming Classification Rules and Regulations, Paralympics Australia’s Classification Policy and Swimming Australia’s classification policy.
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