Para swimming returns to the European Para Youth Games programme in 2025 for the seventh time.

As one of the biggest Para sports in the world, it is expected to be one of the most popular at Istanbul 2025 with athletes and countries too.

It is governed by World Para Swimming and includes athletes with physical, vision and intellectual impairments competing in a range of classes from S1, for athletes with the most severe physical disabilities through to S11 for those with the highest level of vision impairment and S14 for athletes with intellectual impairments.

Modifications to the rules include starting platforms, in-water starts, and tappers or signals for visually impaired athletes.

Para-Swimming debuted at the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome, one of the original eight sports, and has since grown significantly over the years.

In European terms, Great Britain are the leading Para swimming nation with an incredible 739 Paralympic medals overall. They are joined in the all-time top 10 by the Netherlands, France, Poland, Spain and Sweden.