Abstract
The elite nature of Paralympic swimming, heterogeneity of athletes and the aquatic environment combine to pose enormous challenges forthe development of high level research evidence. However, Paralympic swimming case vignettes provide an invaluable opportunity to explore the unique adaptive biomechanics of athletes with disabilities. Enhanced understanding of these adaptations assists clinicians in targeting strategies for performance enhancement, injury prevention and management. Furthermore, quantitative sports biomechanics may provide clinically important insights that may be missed by even the most discerning qualitative movement analysis. Key Practice Points: • Biomechanical analysis of athletes with disabilities assists in the understanding of unique adaptive movement strategies. Common patterns of movement strategies can be observed in different groups (classification and disability) of Paralympic swimmers. However, individual quantitative and qualitative analysis of movement assists clinicians in targeting tailored strategies for performance enhancement, injury prevention and management.