Paralympic Canoe is exactly like canoeing for able-bodied athletes, enabling those with physical impairments to enjoy the sport and compete at the highest level. Athletes with impairments to the lower body or trunk compete in an individual 200-metre sprint on a straight-line course.
Races are contested by two types of boat, kayak and va'a (which means ‘small boat’ in the Polynesian language). The kayak is propelled by a double-blade paddle, while the va'a is an outrigger canoe which has a second pontoon as a support float and is used with a single-blade paddle. Read more on the Paris 2024 website.
Find out more on the Paddle UK website.