Para Judo, Rowing, and Cycling at the Paris Paralympics 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

The Paris Paralympics 2024 will witness thrilling competitions across various disciplines, including Para Judo, Rowing, and Cycling. Let’s delve into the nuances of these sports and highlight the Indian athletes who will be representing the nation on the global stage.

Para Judo: A Sport of Touch and Skill

The Para Judo events will be held from September 5th to 7th at the Champ de Mars Arena. This exclusive event caters to athletes with vision impairments and follows the same rules as the Olympic Games. However, the absence of sight adds another layer of complexity. Judokas rely heavily on their sense of touch to anticipate their opponent’s movements, utilizing heightened sensitivity to their breathing patterns, grip on the judogi, and body movements.

Judo was officially incorporated into the Paralympics at the 1988 Seoul Games, with women’s competition introduced in Athens in 2004. To win a match, judokas must secure their opponent’s judogi and aim for a decisive throw, pin, or submission through joint locks or chokes.

Two key scoring advantages in Judo are:

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Ippon:

Awarded for a forceful, controlled throw that lands the opponent on their back, or a successful submission (choke or joint lock) or pinning the opponent for 20 seconds. An ippon results in an immediate match victory.
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Waza-ari:

Granted for a throw that falls short of Ippon criteria or a pin lasting between 10 and 20 seconds. Two Waza-ari scores equate to one Ippon, leading to a match win.

Matches last for four minutes of active time. If no Ippon is achieved by the end, the judoka with the highest score prevails.

Two disability categories are recognized in Para Judo, exclusively for visually impaired athletes:

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J1:

Complete Blindness
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J2:

Visually Impaired

Judokas are further divided into weight classes:

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Women:

-48 kg, -57 kg, -70 kg, +70 kg
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Men:

-60 kg, -73 kg, -90 kg, +90 kg

Indian Judokas in Action:

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Kapil Parmar:

Men’s -60kg J1
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Kokila:

Women’s -48kg J2

Para Rowing: Power and Precision on the Water

Rowing made its Paralympic debut at the Beijing 2008 Games with four 1,000m events. The distance was increased to 2,000m, aligning with the Olympic standard, at the Tokyo 2020 Games (held in 2021). The Paralympic rowing program now features five events: three mixed (two PR2 and PR3 double sculls and one PR3 coxed four) and two open events.

Boats used by rowers without leg function have fixed seats. Para rowing rules closely resemble those of the Olympics. Athletes compete in various events based on their sex and impairment category: PR1, PR2, or PR3.

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PR1 Single Sculls:

Rowers with no trunk or leg function, using two oars. Athletes are strapped around the torso for support and balance.
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PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x):

Rowers with arm and trunk function, consisting of one male and one female, each using two oars.
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PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 Mix4+):

Rowers with arm, trunk, and leg function, featuring a team of four (two men and two women) and a coxswain, with each rower using one oar.
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PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x):

Rowers with arm, trunk, and leg function, consisting of one male and one female, each using two oars.

Eligible Impairments:

Orthopaedic impairments, paraplegia, quadriplegia, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, neurological disabilities, and vision impairments.

Classification Letter:

PR (Para Rowing)

Number:

1 to 3

Indians in Action:

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Anita:

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls – PR3Mix2x
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Narayana Konganapalle:

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls – PR3Mix2x

Para Cycling: Speed and Determination on Two Wheels

Paralympic cycling originated in the early 1980s as tandem cycling for visually impaired athletes, using a sighted pilot. The sport has evolved to encompass various bicycle types—standard bikes, handcycles, tricycles, and tandems—tailored to different disabilities.

Paralympic road cycling debuted at the 1984 New York-Stoke Mandeville Games and features three event categories: road race, time trial, and relay. Competition distances in Paralympic cycling are adjusted based on athletes’ classifications. Road races vary in distance for different categories.

Road Cycling:

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Tandem Riders:

78km to 125km
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Handcycles:

37km to 80km
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Bicycles:

48km to 100km
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Tricycles:

26km to 40km

Relay Races:

Feature mixed teams of three, with each athlete completing two or three laps based on the course length.

Time Trials:

Span 10km to 40km, adjusted by athlete category.

Athletes use a variety of bicycles depending on their impairments:

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Solo Riders:

Use standard racing bikes with minor modifications for their disabilities, such as adjustments to brakes or gear systems.
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Handcycles:

Used by athletes with spinal cord injuries or lower limb amputations.
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Tricycles:

Accommodate riders with balance and locomotion issues, like cerebral palsy or hemiplegia.
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Tandems:

Used by blind or visually impaired athletes with a sighted pilot.

Eligible Impairments:

Vision impairments, amputated upper or lower limbs and equivalent, physical disabilities limiting movement of the upper or lower limbs (such as cerebral palsy or hemiplegia).

Classification Letter:

H (= Handcycle) / T (= Tricycle) / C (= Cycle) / VI or B (Visually Impaired or Blind)

Number:

H1 to H5 / T1 to T2 / C1 to C5, 1 being the greatest impairment and 5 the mildest.

Indians in Action:

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Arshad Shaik:

Road – Men’s C2 Ind. Time Trial, Road – Men’s C1-3 Road Race
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Jyoti Gaderiya:

Road – Women’s C1-3 Ind. Time Trial, Road – Women’s C1-3 Road Race

Para Cycling on the Track:

Para cycling on the track consists of three main events: time trial, individual pursuit, and tandem or team sprint. Track cycling was introduced to the Paralympics at the 1996 Atlanta Games, 12 years after road cycling made its debut.

Format:

At the Paralympic Games, two types of bikes are used in track cycling: standard bicycles and tandems. Each bike is specifically adapted to meet the needs of athletes based on their disabilities.

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Time Trial:

Athletes race individually or in teams over 500m or 1km from a standing start.
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Individual Pursuit:

Athletes compete over 3km or 4km.

Athletes use different bicycles based on their impairment classification:

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Solo Riders:

Use standard racing bikes with safety modifications, such as adjustments to gears and the chainset, to accommodate their disabilities.
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Tandems:

Used by blind or visually impaired athletes, who race with a sighted pilot.

Eligible Impairments:

Vision impairments, amputated upper or lower limbs and equivalent, physical disabilities limiting movement of the upper or lower limbs (such as cerebral palsy or hemiplegia).

Classification Letter:

C (= Cycle) / VI (Visually Impaired or Blind)

Number:

1 to 5. Athletes with an amputated limb or impairment that affects motor function, 1 being the greatest impairment and 5 the mildest. Tandem is always associated with the letter VI or B for athletes with a vision impairment.

Indians in Action:

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Arshad Shaik:

Track – Men’s C1-3 1000m Time Trial, Track – Men’s C2 3000m Ind. Pursuit
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Jyoti Gaderiya:

Track – Women’s C1-3 500m Time Trial, Track – Women’s C1-3 3000m Ind. Pursuit