Para Canoe/Kayak

Para-Canoeing is a sport that distinguishes itself from other Paralympic sports because it is exactly like regular canoeing and it gives people with various physical challenges the opportunity to enjoy the sport at all levels: club, regional, national and international.

For Para-canoeing, outriggers are used for individuals who have minimal balance. The outriggers help prevent the canoe from tipping over and also for helping individuals train.

For information on rules and regulations see the International Canoe Federationor the International Va’a Federation.

Classifications

When classifying an athlete, the classifier takes into consideration the athlete’s functional ability to perform skills specific to the sport of wheelchair basketball; wheeling, dribbling, passing, reaction to contact, shooting, rebounding.

Classifications are based on the international classification system and range from 0.5 to 4.5. Lower class athletes are more limited in their functional skills. Athletes assigned higher classes have few if any limitations.

The total number of points on the court assigned for each of the five players may not exceed 14 points at any one time in most divisions.

The following is a blend of the two classification systems:

LTA — IVF 5 & 6 Point Paddler :

The LTA Class is for paddlers with a disability who have functional use of their legs, trunk and arms for paddling, and who can apply force to the foot board or the seat to propel the boat.
Eligible LTA paddlers may typically have a disability equivalent to one of the following:
- Amputee,Neurological Impairment equivalent to incomplete lesion at S1, Cerebral Palsy Class 8 (CPISRA)
LTA paddlers should meet the minimum disability requirements, which is as follows. A full loss of three fingers on one hand, or at least a tarsal metatarsal amputation of the foot, or the loss of ten points on one limb or fifteen points across two limbs when assessed using the Functional Classification Test as set out in the Classification Application Form for Physical Disabilities and the ICF Classifiers Instructors Manual.

TA – IVF 4 Point Paddler :

The TA Class is for those with use of the trunk and arms. They are unable to apply continuous, controlled force to the footboard or seat to propel the boat due to a weakened function of the lower limbs.
TA paddlers typically have a disability equivalent to at least one of these:
- Bilateral around knee amputation or significantly impaired quadriceps, Neurological impairment equivalent to a complete lesion at L3 level, or an incomplete lesion at L1 Cerebral Palsy Class 5

A – IVF 1 – 3 Point Paddler :

The A Class is for paddlers who have no trunk function, or those who have shoulder function only. An A-Class paddler is able to apply force predominantly using the arms and/or shoulders and is likely to have poor sitting balance.
Eligible A-Class paddlers may typically have a disability equivalent to at least one of the following:
- Cerebral Palsy Class 4 (CP-ISRA), Neurological Impairment with a complete lesion at T12 level, or an incomplete lesion at T10

The last two from the IVF Classification guidelines are as follows: