Paris Paralympics 2024, Know your sport: Judo, Rowing and Cycling

Here’s all you need to know about about para judo, para rowing and para cycling at the Paris Paralympics, and the Indians competing in each category.

Kapil Parmar (blue) in action. | Photo Credit: Instagram | Kapil Parmar

Para Judo

Para Judo events will be held from September 5 to 7 at the Champ de Mars Arena.

This event is exclusive to athletes with vision impairments and adheres to the same rules as the Olympic Games. As they cannot see their opponents coming or attacking, judokas rely on their sense of touch to anticipate their adversary’s actions. They develop a heightened sensitivity to their opponent’s breathing patterns, movements, and grip on the judogi (judo uniform).

Judo was officially included as a sport at the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, and the women’s competition was introduced at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.

Format

In judo, competitors must maintain a grip on each other’s judogi throughout the bout; if they lose their grip, the referee halts the match. Thus, judokas must secure their opponent’s judogi before the match begins. The goal is to throw the opponent to the ground, pin them with a hold, or force a submission through a joint lock or choke.

There are two key advantages in modern judo:

Ippon: Awarded for a decisive throw that lands the opponent on their back with strength, speed, and control, or for a successful submission (choke or joint lock) or pinning the opponent for 20 seconds. An ippon immediately wins the match.

Waza-ari: Given for a throw that falls short of the ippon criteria or a pin lasting between 10 and 20 seconds. Two waza-ari scores equal one ippon, leading to a match victory.

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

Category

Two disability categories are represented in para judo, where only the visually impaired are allowed to compete:

J1: complete blindness

J2: visually impaired

The judokas are divided into weight classes:

-48 kg, -57 kg, -70 kg, +70 kg for women

-60 kg, -73 kg, -90 kg, +90 kg for men

Indian judokas in action

Kapil Parmar: Men’s -60kg J1

Kokila: Women’s -48kg J2

Para Rowing

Rowing made its Paralympic debut at the Beijing 2008 Games with four 1,000m events.

At the Tokyo 2020 Games (held in 2021), the distance was increased to 2,000m, matching the Olympic standard. 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 mirror those of the Olympics.

Category

Athletes compete in different events based on sex and impairment category: PR1, PR2, or PR3.

PR1 Single Sculls: For rowers with no trunk or leg function, using two oars. Athletes are strapped around the torso for support and balance.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x): For rowers with arm and trunk function, consisting of one male and one female, each using two oars.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 Mix4+): For 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.

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x): For 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-

Anita- PR3 Mixed Doubles Sculls-PR3Mix2x

Narayana Konganapalle- PR3 Mixed Doubles Sculls-PR3Mix2x

Para Cycling (Road)

Paralympic cycling originated in the early 1980s as tandem cycling for visually impaired athletes, using a sighted pilot. Since then, the sport has evolved to include various types of bicycles—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.

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Format

Competition distances in Paralympic cycling are tailored to athletes’ classifications based on their disabilities.

Road races range from 78km to 125km for tandem riders, 37km to 80km for handcycles, 48km to 100km for bicycles, and 26km to 40km for tricycles.

Relay races feature mixed teams of three, with each athlete completing two or three laps depending on the course length.

Time trials span 10km to 40km, adjusted by athlete category.

Athletes use various bicycles according to their impairments.

Solo riders use standard racing bikes with minor modifications for their disabilities, such as adjustments to brakes or gear systems. Handcycles, featuring three wheels and operated by upper limbs, are used by athletes with spinal cord injuries or lower limb amputations. Tricycles accommodate riders with balance and locomotion issues, like cerebral palsy or hemiplegia. Tandems are 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-

Arshad Shaik- Road - Men’s C2 Ind. Time Trial, Road - Men’s C1-3 Road Race

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

Para Cycling (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.

At the Paralympic velodrome, athletes race individually or in teams in time trials over 500m or 1km from a standing start. In the individual pursuit, they compete over 3km or 4km.

Athletes use different bicycles based on their impairment classification. Solo riders use standard racing bikes with safety modifications, such as adjustments to gears and the chainset, to accommodate their disabilities. Tandems are 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-

Arshad Shaik- Track - Men’s C1-3 1000m Time Trial, Track - Men’s C2 3000m Ind. Pursuit

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