SportsRowing
What does the sport involve?
Races take place in lanes on a 1000 metre straight course. Adaptive Rowing is being included in the Paralympics for the first time in Beijing 2008 and there will be 4 events. Single scull (individual event) for men, Single scull for women, Mixed Double scull and Mixed Coxed Four. A cox is a crew member who does not row but sits at the rear of the boat behind the crew to direct them so that they row as one and increase the rate of strokes as necessary to win the race. Rowers with a visual impairment compete in the coxed race. In the scull events rowers use both oars, in the coxed events they each take one oar.
Although the single scull boats have small floatation devices and minor modifications to accommodate rowers, in the main the boats used in Adaptive Rowing events meet the standard rules of Rowing.
Boats used in events are as follows – the letters refer to the disability classification, the number is the number of rowers in the boat, in the single sculls the M or W denotes men or women and the symbols '+' and 'x' denote ‘sliding’ or ‘fixed’ seats.
LTA4 + coxed 4 - LTA mixed gender rowers with movement of leg, trunk, arms- sliding seats. Can include up to 2 visually impaired rowers
TA2 x double scull - 2 rowers mixed gender - TA - with use of trunk, arms only - fixed seats
AM1 x single scull - men - A - with full movement of arms only. Fixed seat
AW1 x single scull - women - A - with full movement of arms only. Fixed seat
Who can compete?
Open to : Men and women with a physical disability or visual impairment. Rowers with a visual impairment compete in the Coxed 4 event
Where do I start if I want to try this sport?
The national body responsible for organisation of this sport is:
The Amateur Rowing Association, 6 Lower Mall, Hammersmith, London W6 9DJ
Tel: National Office 0208 237 6700
Useful sites/contacts:
www.ara-rowing.org/clubfinder - in the About Rowing section this has information about Adaptive Rowing and suggests you either look in the clubfinder section for a club or contact the ARAs Adaptive Rowing Coach Jaqui Close for advice.
Did you know?
Rowing is currently the only sport to have fully inclusive World Championships, where events for Adaptive Rowing are included as part of the programme. It is being included for the first time in the Paralympics in Beijing 2008
Indoor Rowing is also a fast growing sport. Following a successful debut at the Indoor Rowing Championship in 2006, Tom Agar made a successful transition to Adaptive Rowing and won the gold medal in the World Championships 2007 in the men’s adaptive single sculls event
Would I like this sport and what are the benefits?
A sport that requires skill, focus, fitness and strength. For those who like to push themselves to their limits and a good sport for developing fitness and upper body strength.
If you aren’t too confident about going on the water, why not start with the Indoor Rowing. The Birmingham Schools Project has introduced Indoor Rowing, including adaptive rowing machines into several schools in Birmingham. The project has been very successful and it is being expanded
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