Paracanoe at the Summer Paralympics

Paracanoe debuted at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.[1][2][3] A meeting of the International Paralympic Committee in Guangzhou, China in 2010 decided to add paracanoe to the roster of the Summer Paralympic Games.[4]

Paracanoe at the Summer Paralympics
Events8 (men: 4; women: 4)
Games
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2008
  • 2012
  • 2016
  • 2020

http://www.paralympic.org/canoe

Paracanoe is a variant of canoeing for athletes with a variety of physical disabilities. The sport is governed by the International Canoe Federation (ICF).[5]

Events edit

Competition at the Summer Paralympic Games consists of sprint races over a 200m straight line course.[6] Eight different events are held.[5]

Equipment edit

The first paracanoe programme at the Paralympics in 2016 featured competitors using single kayaks (K1).[6] For the 2020 paracanoe competitions, a second type of boat, the va'a, was added. This is an outrigger canoe propelled by a single bladed paddle.[7]

Competitor classification edit

There are three different classes for competitors with different physical mobility impairments:[6]

  • KL1 - only arms are used for paddling
  • KL2 / VL2 - trunk and arms are used for paddling
  • KL3 / VL3 - legs, trunk and arms are used for paddling

Medal table edit

Updated to 2020 Summer Paralympics

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Great Britain (GBR)61512
2  Ukraine (UKR)3306
3  Australia (AUS)3216
4  Brazil (BRA)1214
  Germany (GER)1214
6  Hungary (HUN)1113
7  Poland (POL)1012
8  France (FRA)0123
9  Austria (AUT)0101
  RPC (RPC)0101
  United States (USA)0101
12  Chile (CHI)0011
  Italy (ITA)0011
  Portugal (POR)0011
Totals (14 entries)16151546

Paralympic medalists edit

Men edit

KL1

The KL1 Class is for paracanoe paddlers who have very limited or no trunk function and no leg function.[8]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Jakub Tokarz
  Poland
Robert Suba
  Hungary
Ian Marsden
  Great Britain
2020
details
Péter Pál Kiss
  Hungary
Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva
  Brazil
Rémy Boullé
  France
KL2

The KL 2 class is for paracanoe paddlers with partial leg and trunk function alongside good arm strength. A KL2 class paddler should be able to sit upright within the kayak but may require a backrest.[9]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Curtis McGrath
  Australia
Markus Swoboda
  Austria
Nick Beighton
  Great Britain
2020
details
Curtis McGrath
  Australia
Mykola Syniuk
  Ukraine
Federico Mancarella
  Italy
KL3

The KL3 class is for paracanoe paddlers with trunk function and partial leg function.[10]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Serhii Yemelianov
  Ukraine
Tom Kierey
  Germany
Caio Ribeiro de Carvalho
  Brazil
2020
details
Serhii Yemelianov
  Ukraine
Leonid Krylov
  RPC
Robert Oliver
  Great Britain
VL2

The VL2 classification mirrors the KL2 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type.

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2020
details
Fernando Rufino de Paulo
  Brazil
Steven Haxton
  United States
Norberto Mourão
  Portugal
VL3

The VL3 classification mirrors the KL3 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type. Some KL2 paddlers will qualify in this classification as a consequence of the extra stability of the outrigger boat.

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2020
details
Curtis McGrath
  Australia
Giovane Vieira de Paula
  Brazil
Stuart Wood
  Great Britain

Women edit

KL1

The KL1 Class is for paracanoe paddlers who have very limited or no trunk function and no leg function.[8]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Jeanette Chippington
  Great Britain
Edina Muller
  Germany
Kamila Kubas
  Poland
2020
details
Edina Müller
  Germany
Maryna Mazhula
  Ukraine
Katherinne Wollermann
  Chile
KL2

The KL 2 class is for paracanoe paddlers with partial leg and trunk function alongside good arm strength. A KL2 class paddler should be able to sit upright within the kayak but may require a backrest.[9]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Emma Wiggs
  Great Britain
Nataliia Lagutenko
  Ukraine
Susan Seipel
  Australia
2020
details
Charlotte Henshaw
  Great Britain
Emma Wiggs
  Great Britain
Katalin Varga
  Hungary
KL3

The KL3 class is for paracanoe paddlers with trunk function and partial leg function.[10]

Event Gold Silver Bronze
2016
details
Anne Dickins
  Great Britain
Amanda Reynolds
  Australia
Cindy Moreau
  France
2020
details
Laura Sugar
  Great Britain
Nélia Barbosa
  France
Felicia Laberer
  Germany
VL2
Event Gold Silver Bronze
2020
details
Emma Wiggs
  Great Britain
Susan Seipel
  Australia
Jeanette Chippington
  Great Britain

Multiple Medalists edit

The following canoeists have won 2 or more medals in para canoe at the Paralympic Games.[11]

Correct as of 16 September 2021:

No. Athlete Nation Games Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Curtis McGrath   Australia 2016-2020 3 0 0 3
2 Emma Wiggs   Great Britain 2016-2020 2 0 1 3
3 Serhii Yemelianov   Ukraine 2016-2020 2 0 0 2
4 Edina Müller   Germany 2016-2020 1 1 0 2
5 Jeanette Chippington   Great Britain 2016-2020 1 0 1 2
6 Susan Seipel   Australia 2016-2020 0 1 1 2

References edit

  1. ^ "BBC Sport - Disability Sports - Canoeing and triathlon added to 2016 Paralympic Games". BBC News. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  2. ^ "Canoe | IPC". Paralympic.org. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. ^ "Para-Canoeing added to roster for 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio". Paddling Life. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  4. ^ "Paratriathlon and canoeing for 2016 - Paralympics news - London 2012 | MSN Sport UK". Sport.uk.msn.com. 2010-12-16. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  5. ^ a b "Canoe | IPC". Paralympic.org. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  6. ^ a b c "Paracanoe". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  7. ^ "Paracanoe". ICF Canoe and Kayak. International Canoe Federation. 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Paracanoe". ICF - Planet Canoe. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Para Canoe Classification". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Paracanoe". International Canoe Federation. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  11. ^ Note, Edina Muller, Jeanette Chippington, Laura Sugar and Charlotte Henshaw have previously achieved elite success in wheelchair basketball, para athletics and swimming respectively; these medals are not included in this table.