Paracanoe debuted at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. A meeting of the International Paralympic Committee in Guangzhou, China in 2010 decided to add paracanoe to the roster of the Summer Paralympic Games.
Paracanoe is a variant of canoeing for athletes with a variety of physical disabilities. The sport is governed by the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
Competition at the Summer Paralympic Games consists of sprint races over a 200m straight line course. Since 2024, ten different events are held, five for each sex, with each sex eligible for two solo kayak and three Va'a outrigger events.
The first paracanoe programme at the Paralympics in 2016 featured competitors using single kayaks (K1). For the 2020 paracanoe competitions, a second type of boat, the va'a, was added. This is an outrigger canoe propelled by a single bladed paddle. The canoeists, as in the Olympic Games, share their venue with the rowing regatta.
There are three different classes for competitors with different physical mobility impairments:
Updated to 2024 Summer Paralympics
In the first three editions of paracanoe at the Paralympic games, the medal table has been dominated by Great Britain, and specifically by Great Britain's women, who have won ten from twelve gold medals in women's events, and every gold above the KL1 classification (as well as one of the three in KL1).
The most dominant nation in the mens events has been Australia, down largely to the four gold medals, a Paralympic record, won by Curtis McGrath. Nine nations have won at least one gold medal, and eighteen nations, representing all five Paralympic continents, have won at least one medal.
The KL1 Class is for paracanoe paddlers who have very limited or no trunk function and no leg function.
The KL 2 class is for paracanoe paddlers with partial leg and trunk function alongside good arm strength. A KL2 class paddler should be able to sit upright within the kayak but may require a backrest.
The KL3 class is for paracanoe paddlers with trunk function and partial leg function.
The VL2 classification mirrors the KL2 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type. The Va'a outrigger was introduced in 2020.
The VL3 classification mirrors the KL3 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type. Some KL2 paddlers will qualify in this classification as a consequence of the extra stability of the outrigger boat.
The KL1 Class is for paracanoe paddlers who have very limited or no trunk function and no leg function.
The KL 2 class is for paracanoe paddlers with partial leg and trunk function alongside good arm strength. A KL2 class paddler should be able to sit upright within the kayak but may require a backrest.
The KL3 class is for paracanoe paddlers with trunk function and partial leg function.
The VL2 classification mirrors the KL2 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type. The Va'a outrigger canoe event was introduced in 2020.
The VL3 classification mirrors the KL3 classification but in reference to the Va'a outrigger canoe type. Some KL2 paddlers will qualify in this classification as a consequence of the extra stability of the outrigger boat. The women's VL3 was the most recent new canoe event introduced, debuting in 2024.
The following canoeists have won 3 or more gold medals in para canoe at the Paralympic Games.
<small>Correct as of 1 October 2025</small>:
Péter Pál Kiss, of Hungary, Laura Sugar of Great Britain, Serhil Yemelianov of Ukraine and Fernando Rufino de Paulo of Brazil, each have two gold medals in canoeing. Edina Muller of Germany is the only canoeist, male or female, with a complete set of Paralympic Games canoeing medals, gold, silver and bronze, all in the KL1 event.