Sport classes

For athletes with physical impairment there are three different sport classes in place:


Athletes in sport class AS primarily use their arms and shoulders to accelerate the boat. These athletes have minimal or no leg and trunk function, which can be caused by spinal cord injuries for example.


The sport class TA comprises athletes who can use their arms and trunk when rowing, but are not able to utilise the sliding seat when performing the strokes. These athletes typically have good trunk and arm function. For example, athletes with a double around the knee amputation would fit this sport class profile.


This sport class includes athletes with a physical impairment who can use their legs, trunk and arms to accelerate the boat and can use the sliding seat. Athletes who miss three fingers on one hand or have a foot amputation might be eligible to compete in this sport class.


Rowers in this sport class have varying degrees of visual impairment ranging from the B1-B3 sport class as described here.


There are four different events in Para-rowing.

LTA mixed coxed four

Two male and two female rowers from the sport classes LTA-PD and LTA-VI form a team. Due to their physical strength, only two rowers in the team may have a visual impairment and no more than one may have the sport class LTA-VI B3. All athletes with a visual impairment are blindfolded during training and competition.

TA mixed double sculls

One female and one male rower of sport class TA form a team.

AS women’s single sculls and AS men’s single sculls

In sport class AS there are separate events for men and women and the athletes compete in single boats.