Do you compete in the same strokes as in traditional swimming?
Yes, in Paralympic swimming all four styles are practiced: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.
How do visually impaired swimmers orient themselves in the pool?
Currently, the method used is tapping , and it consists of hitting the swimmer’s back or head with a stick holding a sponge at its end, to warn them when to turn. However, they are currently working on other alternatives that take advantage of new technologies . Samsung Iberia has developed Blind Cap, the first swimming cap that incorporates a vibration system and bluetooth technology inside to alert the blind swimmer.
Its operation is simple: synchronized with the Gear S2 smartwatch or with any Android Smartphone through bluetooth, the trainer sends the warning signal from these devices, a signal that translates into vibration in the blind swimmer’s cap and allows him to turn without need for extra help.
The prototype is not yet commercialized, but you can learn more about it in this video.
Do all athletes compete together, regardless of the type of disability?
No. Swimmers are classified into categories that are numbered from least to most depending on the degree of disability . In this way, people with physical disabilities or cerebral palsy are divided into classes from S1 to S10. Blind athletes go in class S11, those with some visual impairment in S12 and S13 and people with intellectual disabilities in S14.
Do they start the race in or out of the pool?
Depends. Swimmers can leave standing on the pole, seated, or directly from within the water . Furthermore, all races take place in 50 meter pools.
Do we have an athlete in Spain who stands out in Paralympic swimming?
Yes: María Teresa Perales is currently one of the athletes with the medals in the history of the Paralympic Games: nothing more and nothing less than 22. The swimmer lost mobility in her legs at the age of 19, and since then she embarked on an adventure of swimming and began to compete.
