Category: Summer Paralympics

Wheelchair Fencing

wheelchair fencing icon

Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability.

Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialize in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent.

Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability.

Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialize in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with an opponent.

Para/Wheelchair Table Tennis

wheelchair table tennis icon

Para table tennis is a parasports which follows the rules set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The usual table tennis rules are in effect with slight modifications for wheelchair athletes. Athletes from disability groups can take part. Athletes receive classifications between 1-11. Classes 1-5 are for those in wheelchairs and classes 6-10 for those who have disabilities that allow them to play standing. Within those groups, the higher classification means the more function the athlete has. Class 11 is defined for players with an intellectual disability.

Para/Wheelchair Table Tennis

Para table tennis is a parasports which follows the rules set by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The usual table tennis rules are in effect with slight modifications for wheelchair athletes. Athletes from disability groups can take part. Athletes receive classifications between 1-11. Classes 1-5 are for those in wheelchairs and classes 6-10 for those who have disabilities that allow them to play standing. Within those groups, the higher classification means the more function the athlete has. Class 11 is defined for players with an intellectual disability.

Wheelchair/Para Shooting

wheelchair shooting icon

Paralympic shooting, also known as shooting Para sport, is an adaptation of shooting sports for competitors with disabilities. Shooting is a test of accuracy and control, in which competitors use pistols or rifles to fire a series of shots at a stationary target. Each shot is worth a maximum score of 10.9 points. Athletes use .22 caliber rifles, pistols and .177 caliber air guns (compressed air or pneumatic).

Competitions are open to all athletes with a physical disability. Shooting utilizes a functional classification system, which enables wheelchair users and ambulant athletes from different disability classes to compete together either individually or in teams.

Athletes compete in rifle and pistol events from distances of 10, 25 and 50 meters, in men’s, women’s and mixed competitions. Of the 12 Paralympic Shooting events, six are open to both women and men, three are open to women only and three are open to men only.

The sport is governed by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and co-ordinated by the World Shooting Para Sport Technical Committee following the modified rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). These rules consider the differences that exist between shooting for the able-bodied and shooting for persons with a disability.

In November 2016, IPC changed the official name of the sport to “shooting Para sport”, and renamed the coordinating committee from “IPC Shooting Sport Technical Committee” to reflect this change.

Wheelchair/Para Shooting

Paralympic shooting, also known as shooting Para sport, is an adaptation of shooting sports for competitors with disabilities. Shooting is a test of accuracy and control, in which competitors use pistols or rifles to fire a series of shots at a stationary target. Each shot is worth a maximum score of 10.9 points. Athletes use .22 caliber rifles, pistols and .177 caliber air guns (compressed air or pneumatic).

Competitions are open to all athletes with a physical disability. Shooting utilizes a functional classification system, which enables wheelchair users and ambulant athletes from different disability classes to compete together either individually or in teams.

Athletes compete in rifle and pistol events from distances of 10, 25 and 50 meters, in men’s, women’s and mixed competitions. Of the 12 Paralympic Shooting events, six are open to both women and men, three are open to women only and three are open to men only.

The sport is governed by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and co-ordinated by the World Shooting Para Sport Technical Committee following the modified rules of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). These rules consider the differences that exist between shooting for the able-bodied and shooting for persons with a disability.

In November 2016, IPC changed the official name of the sport to “shooting Para sport”, and renamed the coordinating committee from “IPC Shooting Sport Technical Committee” to reflect this change.

Para Road Cycling

adaptive road cycling icon

Para-cycling (or Paracycling) is the sport of cycling adapted for cyclists who have various disabilities. It is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The sport consists of seven different events which include road and track races. The world’s elite para-cyclists compete at Track and Road Worlds Championships (since 1994), the Commonwealth Games, the Paralympic Games and the World Cup (since 2010).

Para Road Cycling

Para-cycling (or Paracycling) is the sport of cycling adapted for cyclists who have various disabilities. It is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The sport consists of seven different events which include road and track races. The world’s elite para-cyclists compete at Track and Road Worlds Championships (since 1994), the Commonwealth Games, the Paralympic Games and the World Cup (since 2010).

Wheelchair Boccia

wheelchair boccia icon

Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce, and related to bowls and pétanque. The sport is contested at local, national and international levels, by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports (along with goalball) that have no counterpart in the Olympic program.

Wheelchair Boccia

Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce, and related to bowls and pétanque. The sport is contested at local, national and international levels, by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports (along with goalball) that have no counterpart in the Olympic program.

Wheelchair Badminton

wheelchair badminton icon

Para-badminton is a variant of badminton for athletes with a range of physical disabilities. Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the main governing body for para-badminton starting from June 2011. The sport was governed by Para Badminton World Federation (PBWF) until a unanimous decision to join BWF during a meeting in Dortmund in June 2011.

Wheelchair Badminton

Para-badminton is a variant of badminton for athletes with a range of physical disabilities. Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the main governing body for para-badminton starting from June 2011. The sport was governed by Para Badminton World Federation (PBWF) until a unanimous decision to join BWF during a meeting in Dortmund in June 2011.

Wheelchair Archery

wheelchair archery icon

Para-archery is a sport of precision, concentration and strength open to all athletes with physical or cognitive impairments: any age, gender and ability. Athletes who may otherwise be dissuaded from participating in sports can participate in archery even alongside athletes without any disability.

There are three divisions in Para-Archery: Recurve Bow, Compound Bow and Visually Impaired. Within these divisions, athletes are classified by their impairment(s) as follows:

Competitors shoot arrows at a target marked with ten scoring zones, from a set distance. Para-archery is very similar to able-bodied archery. Athletes shoot the same rounds, distances and events. The distance from the target and number of arrows shot is the same for para-archery athletes as for able-bodied competitors except for the Visually Impaired (VI) division.

Para-athletes are divided into three functional classes (Standing, Wheelchair 1 and Wheelchair 2).

ARST (also known as ST).
Archery Standing. Athletes may compete standing or in a wheelchair, but have limited impairment.

ARW1 (also known as W1). Archery Wheelchair 1.
Impairment in the arms and legs. Athletes compete from a wheelchair and have “limited function in lower and upper limbs, and usually trunk eg those with high level spinal cord injuries, or high multiple limb amputations”.

ARW2 (also known as W2). Archery Wheelchair 2.
Impairment in the legs. Athletes compete from a wheelchair and have “significantly limited lower limb function with little or no upper limb impairment eg athletes with paraplegia, diplegia or double leg amputation below the knee.”

Wheelchair Archery

Para-archery is a sport of precision, concentration and strength open to all athletes with physical or cognitive impairments: any age, gender and ability. Athletes who may otherwise be dissuaded from participating in sports can participate in archery even alongside athletes without any disability.

There are three divisions in Para-Archery: Recurve Bow, Compound Bow and Visually Impaired. Within these divisions, athletes are classified by their impairment(s) as follows:

Competitors shoot arrows at a target marked with ten scoring zones, from a set distance. Para-archery is very similar to able-bodied archery. Athletes shoot the same rounds, distances and events. The distance from the target and number of arrows shot is the same for para-archery athletes as for able-bodied competitors except for the Visually Impaired (VI) division.

Para-athletes are divided into three functional classes (Standing, Wheelchair 1 and Wheelchair 2).

ARST (also known as ST).
Archery Standing. Athletes may compete standing or in a wheelchair, but have limited impairment.

ARW1 (also known as W1). Archery Wheelchair 1.
Impairment in the arms and legs. Athletes compete from a wheelchair and have “limited function in lower and upper limbs, and usually trunk eg those with high level spinal cord injuries, or high multiple limb amputations”.

ARW2 (also known as W2). Archery Wheelchair 2.
Impairment in the legs. Athletes compete from a wheelchair and have “significantly limited lower limb function with little or no upper limb impairment eg athletes with paraplegia, diplegia or double leg amputation below the knee.”

Wheelchair Basketball

wheelchair basketball icon

Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced game played by two teams of five players where the object is to shoot the ball into the opposing team’s basket.

Every team is comprised of five players and seven substitutes. The match consists of four periods of ten minutes. If the score is tied at the end of playing time for the fourth period, the match will be continued with an extra period of five minutes or with as many such periods of five minutes as are necessary to break the tie.

Wheelchair Basketball

Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced game played by two teams of five players where the object is to shoot the ball into the opposing team’s basket.

Every team is comprised of five players and seven substitutes. The match consists of four periods of ten minutes. If the score is tied at the end of playing time for the fourth period, the match will be continued with an extra period of five minutes or with as many such periods of five minutes as are necessary to break the tie.

Wheelchair Tennis

wheelchair tennis icon

Wheelchair tennis is a form of tennis adapted for wheelchair users, and it is played on regular tennis courts that you will find at any public park or private club. The only main difference in the way wheelchair tennis is played compared to able-bodied tennis is that players competing in a wheelchair are entitled to two bounces of the tennis ball on their side of the court rather than one. All other lines on the court are the same and the same height of the net is used.

There are three main categories in wheelchair tennis, Men’s, Women’s, and Quad’s; each of these categories has singles and doubles tournaments. In the early days of the sport each category was divided into divisions ranging from Open (highest), A, B, C to D (lowest). Today only the Open divisions of the Men’s and Women’s categories are played exclusively by each gender. All other divisions have become Coed divisions.

The Quad division (quadriplegic), is for players that have substantial loss of function in at least one upper limb, and may include various disabilities besides quadriplegia. As the newest division in wheelchair tennis it has recently sometimes been called Mixed, especially at the Paralympic Games.

Quad players as they are known were originally mainly players that competed in the sport with greater limitations in their abilities compared to those of their Men’s and Women’s counterparts, and players would often tape the rackets to their hand, to compensate for loss of function, some players would compete in electric-powered wheelchairs, and even some one-armed players would compete in the division. In today’s Quad division their is a great debate that goes to the very core of the sportsmanship know in wheelchair tennis since its inception, as players with what most would consider “minimal” limitations have inundated the division to claim the equal prize money that has been offered to its competitors.

Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis is a form of tennis adapted for wheelchair users, and it is played on regular tennis courts that you will find at any public park or private club. The only main difference in the way wheelchair tennis is played compared to able-bodied tennis is that players competing in a wheelchair are entitled to two bounces of the tennis ball on their side of the court rather than one. All other lines on the court are the same and the same height of the net is used.

There are three main categories in wheelchair tennis, Men’s, Women’s, and Quad’s; each of these categories has singles and doubles tournaments. In the early days of the sport each category was divided into divisions ranging from Open (highest), A, B, C to D (lowest). Today only the Open divisions of the Men’s and Women’s categories are played exclusively by each gender. All other divisions have become Coed divisions.

The Quad division (quadriplegic), is for players that have substantial loss of function in at least one upper limb, and may include various disabilities besides quadriplegia. As the newest division in wheelchair tennis it has recently sometimes been called Mixed, especially at the Paralympic Games.

Quad players as they are known were originally mainly players that competed in the sport with greater limitations in their abilities compared to those of their Men’s and Women’s counterparts, and players would often tape the rackets to their hand, to compensate for loss of function, some players would compete in electric-powered wheelchairs, and even some one-armed players would compete in the division. In today’s Quad division their is a great debate that goes to the very core of the sportsmanship know in wheelchair tennis since its inception, as players with what most would consider “minimal” limitations have inundated the division to claim the equal prize money that has been offered to its competitors.