Paracanoe is the canoeing discipline for athletes with an impairment and races are contested by two types of boat, kayak (K) and va’a (V). The kayak is propelled by a double-blade paddle, while the va’a is a rudderless, outrigger canoe which has an ama (second pontoon) as a support float and is used with a single-blade paddle. Both kayak and va’a have three different classes of events for men and women, depending on the classification of an athlete’s impairment, with KL1, KL2 and KL3 for kayak and VL1, VL2 and VL3 for va’a. At international level all paracanoe races are individual events and competed at a distance of 200m.
Olympic & Paralympic
Paracanoe
Paralympic Olympic Information
- 2024 Paris Paralympic Events
- 2023 Events & Information
- Grants Available to Paracanoe Coaches
- Men’s Kayak Single (MKL1)
- Men’s Kayak Single (MKL2)
- Men’s Kayak Single (MKL3)
- Men’s Va’a Single (MVL2)
- Men’s Va’a Single (MVL3)
- Women’s Kayak Single (WKL1)
- Women’s Kayak Single (WKL2)
- Women’s Kayak Single (WKL3)
- Women’s Va’a Single (WVL2)
- Women’s Va’a Single (WVL3)
- Paracanoe athletes diagnosis form
- Paracanoe athletes certificate of diagnosis
- Paracanoe athletes information and consent
- Declaration of medical complications and emergency measures
- Equipment passport
- Strapping waiver
- PFD waiver
- ICF Classification Rules and Regulations for Paracanoe
- 2023 Paracanoe Selection Criteria
- Team Trial Race Card will be drafted by the Chief Official by Tuesday, April 7, 2023.
2024 Paris Paralympic Program:
Selection Criteria for Paralympics Paracanoe
*For information about Team Trials at Lake Natoma, Sacramento, California, March 22-23, 2024, please see the Sprint page for details.
Certification and Waivers for Competition
The Paracanoe athletes diagnosis form is self explanatory and may be filled out by you or the doctor, although in the case of spinal cord injury, please ensure the level of injury is noted on both the medical diagnosis and this form.
The certificate of diagnosis is the only form a medical doctor must sign.
You must sign the consent form to be classified, and declare any medical complications and emergency measures that would be needed. You must list all the medications you take and use this opportunity to check medications and supplements to make sure you are not taking a banned substance.
An equipment passport must show all strapping and adaptations, the seat, and the footrest. Photos with and without the athlete seated in the boat are required. Several measurements are required. If you do the passport with equipment other than the one you race, be sure to point out the difference to the classifier, and an accurate, up to date passport is required for international competition.
Your signature on the Strapping Waiver verifies any strapping is easily and quickly released and you can escape if you capsize. The Team Leader will also be required to sign at international races.
Your signature on the PFD waiver verifies you can swim and is required if you do not wear a PFD. The Team Leader would also be required to sign at international races.
The ICF Classification Rules and Regulations for Paracanoe are provided for your information, along with the Paracanoe (Racing) Rules.
Bring these forms with you to all classification appointments whether National or International. The forms will be uploaded to the ICF database several weeks before your international classification appointment.
The ICF Classification Rules and Regulations for Paracanoe are provided for your information, along with the Paracanoe (Racing) Rules.
Opportunity for Paralympic Athletes:
2-hour, 1-1 consulting with Josh Basile, Esq. to address the diverse challenges surrounding employment, family, finances, and disability benefits to support Paralympic athletes. This attached flyer includes more information and a link to register.
Please click here to view a list of grants available for athletes with disabilities.
