Lebedeva A.L.
Saint-Petersburg Scientific-Research Institute For Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Vinokourov L.V.
Saint-Petersburg Scientific-Research Institute For Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Dyachenko D.A.
Saint-Petersburg Scientific-Research Institute For Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Keywords: back start, backstroke, paraplane, sport for individuals with locomotor system impairments

The variability in nosological features among athletes underscores the importance of analyzing the frequency and nature of motor predictors in starts—particularly in backstroke swimming [1].

To determine the representativeness of motor predictors of back starts across different sport-functional classes of para-swimmers with locomotor system impairments.

In 2024, 60 para-swimmers from the Russian national team competing in swimming for individuals with locomotor system impairments were examined. Sport-functional classes were grouped in pairs based on nosological similarity and potential for reclassification into adjacent classes: S1–S2, S3–S4, S5–S6, S7–S8, S9–S10. Data were collected through video analysis of underwater and above-water recordings of start performances, supplemented by pedagogical observations during training sessions on starting blocks (UTM) and competitive events. Frequency distribution analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel.

The table below presents the distribution of back-start motor predictors within each pair of sport-functional classes (data not shown due to format constraints; results summarized below).

Among para-swimmers with locomotor system impairments performing back starts, the most frequently observed predictor across all classes is “difficulty grasping the starting block handles.” While this predictor occurred in every class, its prevalence varied significantly between functional groups. The greatest diversity of back-start predictors was observed in the “middle” classes (S5–S6), where nine out of ten possible predictors were identified. This indicates a high degree of individualization in movement strategies and suggests that athletes in these classes require highly tailored, multi-directional training interventions to optimize start technique.

1. Lebedeva, A.L., Vinokurov, L.V., Gross, N.A. & Sharova, T.L. (2024) Prognoosticheskie prediktory korrektsionnoy i kompensatornoy realizatsii tekhniki startov plavtsov-paralimpiytsev s poryazheniem oporno-dvigatel’nogo apparata [Prognostic predictors of corrective and compensatory implementation of start technique in paralympic swimmers with musculoskeletal disorders]. Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury, 10, pp. 36–39.