Pararowing

Pararowing (or adaptive rowing) is a category of rowing race for those with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities.

History

In 1913, rowing for individuals with disabilities was initiated by headmaster George Clifford Brown at Worcester College for the Blind in Great Britain.^[1] Brown encouraged blind students to participate in particular sports in which they would be able to compete at an equal level to sighted players and do so without modifications. Other organizations dedicated to rehabilitating the blind, such as St. Dunstan's Hostel, started rowing clubs shortly afterwards in 1915. Competitive rowing with blind rowers first began in 1914 between Worcester College and the Old Boys in one race and Worcester College and Worcester Boy Scouts in another race the same year.^[1]

In October 1945, veterans from the Army, Navy, and Marines blinded during WWII entered into the Navy Day Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Some consider this event as what spawned the international interest of adaptive rowing.^[1]

Classes

Under FISA rules there are three categories for adaptive rowers:

PR3 (previously LTA - Legs, Trunk, Arms): Use of at least one leg, trunk and arms. Also for those with visual and intellectual impairments. Rowed with standard boats and sliding seats.
PR2 (previously TA - Trunk and Arms): Only use of trunk muscles. Boat has fixed seat.
PR1 (previously AS - Arms and Shoulders): Limited trunk control. Boat has fixed seat and rower is strapped at upper chest level to only allow shoulder and arm movements.

Events

At FISA World Championships there are now 9^[2] boat events (standard nomenclature is used).

Adaptive Rowing Events
Boat Type	Seat Count	Sex	Coxed	Class	FISA Notation	FISA World Championships	Paralympic Games
Scull	1	Men	Unspecified	PR1	PR1 M1x	Yes	Yes
Scull	1	Women	Unspecified	PR1	PR1 W1x	Yes	Yes
Scull	1	Men	Unspecified	PR2	PR2 M1x	Yes	No
Scull	1	Women	Unspecified	PR2	PR2 W1x	Yes	No
Scull	2	Mixed	Unspecified	PR2	PR2 Mix2x	Yes	Yes
Scull	2	Mixed	Unspecified	PR3	PR3 Mix3x	Yes	No
Sweep	2	Men	No	PR3	PR3 M2-	Yes	No
Sweep	2	Women	No	PR3	PR3 W2-	Yes	No
Sweep	4	Mixed	Yes	PR3	PR3 Mix4+	Yes	Yes

Racing was held over 1,000 m (rather than the standard 2,000 m), but from 2017 the distance was changed to the standard 2,000m.^[3] In mixed events half the crew must be male and other half female (coxswain may be of either gender and may be able bodied). Single shells for the PR1 category must have stabilising pontoons attached to the riggers.

Adaptive events were added to the World Rowing Championships in 2002 and took place at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "A Short History of Para-Rowing" (PDF). FISA. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
^ "Rules of Racing" (PDF). FISA. January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
^ "Summary of proposed changes to the FISA Rules of Racing, related Bye-Laws and Event Regulations" (PDF). FISA. Retrieved 13 February 2017.

External links

[:0-1] "A Short History of Para-Rowing" (PDF). FISA. Retrieved 12 March 2020.

[2] "Rules of Racing" (PDF). FISA. January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.

[3] "Summary of proposed changes to the FISA Rules of Racing, related Bye-Laws and Event Regulations" (PDF). FISA. Retrieved 13 February 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Rowing
Australian rowing	Rowing Australia Rowing Championships Head of the River Head of the Schoolgirls (Victoria) King's Cup Head of the River (New South Wales) Head of the River (Victoria) Head of the River (Western Australia)
Canadian rowing	Canadian Henley Rowing Canada Aviron Secondary School Rowing Association University Rowing Association Head of the Trent
New Zealand rowing	List of New Zealand rowers at the Summer Olympics Maadi Cup Rowing New Zealand The Great Race
UK rowing	Boston Marathon British Rowing British Rowing Championships Head of the River Race Henley Boat Races Henley Women's Regatta National Schools' Regatta Schools' Head of the River Race Scottish Boat Race Scottish Rowing The Boat Race University rowing Welsh Rowing Wingfield Sculls Women's Boat Race Women's Eights Head of the River Race
Henley Royal Regatta	Grand Stewards' Queen Mother Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Double Sculls Diamond Ladies' Visitors' Prince of Wales Thames Wyfold Britannia Temple Prince Albert Princess Elizabeth Fawley Remenham Princess Grace Princess Royal
US rowing	College rowing CRASH-B Dad Vail Eastern Sprints Harvard–Yale HOCR Head of the Fish Head of the Hooch Head of the Ohio Head of the Schuylkill Poughkeepsie Regatta SRAAA Stotesbury Cup NCAA D1 IRA ACRA
World Rowing events	Olympic Games Paralympic Games World Championships World Rowing Cup World Junior Championships World U23 Championships European Championships Asian Championships Universiade Pan American Games African Games Commonwealth Games
Types of rowing	Bumps race Coastal Indoor rower Lightweight Para Racing shell Sculling Stern sculling Sweep Rowing tank Women's
Lists	Glossary of rowing terms Club oars National oars Rowing boat manufacturers Rowing venues School and university oars World best times
Category Commons