Classification is the distinguishing factor of Paralympic sports and a majority of the research done here on swimming has had this in mind. Competition for persons with loco-motor disabilities is organized under a functional classification system in which persons with various impairments compete against one another in several classes. Swimmers with visual impairment (3 classes) and intellectual disability are also discussed here. Mathematical comparisons of 100m freestyle world records for loco-motor disability degress over the 10 classes in a predicable manner. This is not the case in other events however. Paralympic 100m freestyle swimmers demonstrate on the mean similar stroking parameter changes to able-bodied Olympic swimmers between and within races. Paralympic swimmers with visual impairment do not differ in this respect in freestyle races. The greater variation in stroking models is reduced when specific impairment groups are isolated. Expierenced and trained swimmers with intellectual disability are, however, not able to maintain stable race speed and stroking mode over several freestyle races. In breaststroke both visually impaired and intellectually disabled have much more trouble turning than in their freestyle races with relatively slow breaststroke turns and more than 8% losses in swimming speed. The physical capacity of Paralympic swimmers has seldom been examined. As expected passive drag increases with decreased function at a fixed towing speed. World championship participants with intellectual disability are smaller (38th percentile) and show extremely poor hand grip strength when compared to European national level ablebodied swimmers (M percentile score = 1.1 ±3.2).
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