Biomechanical Analysis of Limb Coordination in Front-Crawl Among Elite S10 and S12 Para Swimmers: Implications for Performance Optimization

Para swimmers categorized as S10 and S12 are of particular interest due to their disability grading being closest to that of able-bodied swimmers, making them an ideal group for investigating disparities in limb coordination patterns. This study aimed to investigate whether S10 and S12 para swimmers, whose disability grading for movement and visual ability, respectively, were the closest to that of able-bodied swimmers, would differ in terms of the biomechanics of limb coordination. This study recruited twenty para swimmers (ten with minor limb absence (S10) in the hand and ten with minor visual impairment (S12)). Using panoramic video, the phase duration, stroke length, stroke rate, index of coordination, synchronization, and inter-limb coordination were digitized and compared in the context of a front-crawl sprinting test. The results showed a significantly different duration of the recovery phase for S10 para swimmers at the affected side, where a more random coordination pattern between arm and leg at the pull and push phases was statistically seen. The variation of the inter-limb coordination gradually increased for S10 para swimmers from hand entry to the end of push, but gradually reduced for S12 para swimmers. These results suggest that the same pace was achieved by different hand–leg coordination patterns according to their physical constraints. Consequently, the unique coordination patterns of different para swimmers from this study offer an opportunity to explore the adaptive strategies and biomechanical adjustments that enable optimal performance for para swimmers.