Para swimming
Para swimming is freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and medley for swimmers with an eligible impairment, who race within sport classes. Physical classes run from S1, the most limited, to S10; S11 to S13 are for vision impairment and S14 for intellectual impairment. A tapper taps vision-impaired swimmers as they near the wall.
New to para swimming? Start here
How long
Races by sport class, as in swimming
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Paralympic Games (para swimming)The top title in para swimming.Every 4 years · Holder: Paris 2024, 141 events: China 22 golds
- 2World Para Swimming ChampionshipsThe sport's own world title.Every 2 years (to check) · Holder: Neutral Paralympic Athletes top of the medal…
- 3Commonwealth Games (para swimming)Para events inside the Commonwealth Games programme.Every 4 years · Holder: 56 events; Australia won 37 golds
India
India's one Paralympic swimming gold is Murlikant Petkar's in the men's 50 m freestyle class 3 at Heidelberg 1972; India also won a world gold in Mexico City 2017 [the two pages].
- Para swimming at the Paralympic Games: 1 gold: Murlikant Petkar, men's 50 m freestyle class 3, Heidelberg 1972
- World Para Swimming Championships: 1 gold, in Mexico City 2017
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 1 gold (latest 1972); Swimming at the Commonwealth Games: 1 bronze (latest 2010)
- United StatesPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 293 golds, 232 silvers, 230 bronzes (latest 2024); World Para Swimming Championships: 37 golds, 37 silvers, 28 bronzes (latest 2010)
- AustraliaPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 142 golds, 168 silvers, 170 bronzes (latest 2024); Swimming at the Commonwealth Games: 368 golds, 262 silvers, 243 bronzes (latest 2026)
- Great BritainPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 243 golds, 263 silvers, 233 bronzes (latest 2024); World Para Swimming Championships: 32 golds, 33 silvers, 32 bronzes (latest 2010)
- CanadaPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 169 golds, 128 silvers, 126 bronzes (latest 2024); Swimming at the Commonwealth Games: 112 golds, 131 silvers, 136 bronzes (latest 2026)
- NetherlandsPara swimming at the Paralympic Games: 190 golds, 141 silvers, 118 bronzes (latest 2024); World Para Swimming Championships: 5 golds, 8 silvers, 11 bronzes (latest 2010)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | World Para Swimming, Rules and Regulations, February 2026 |
| International federation | World Para Swimming, part of the IPC |
| In India | Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), which issues the para swimming selection trials and junior national championships circulars; the PCI is on the MYAS list for 2026 |
Where and when it is played
In a pool. The big events: the Paralympic Games every four years and the World Para Swimming Championships.