Design and Product Development

Towards Redesigning Swimsuits for Paralympic Swimmers with Limb Deficiency

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Abstract

Paralympic (Para) swimming has the second largest number of competing athletes in the Para Games, many of whom have limb deficiency (LD) – the total or partial absence of bones or joints. Swimsuits serve as critical equipment in Para swimming, yet competitive swimsuits must comply with strict World Aquatics design, material, and construction requirements, creating performance and usability challenges for swimmers with LD. Body asymmetry, differences in limb length, and impairment location can influence force, drag, and speed, while current swimsuit regulations limit necessary adaptations related to fit, mobility, donning and doffing, and fastener use. No brands currently offer adaptive swimsuits for competitive use. Hence, this concept paper examines performance challenges and design limitations for Para swimmers with LD and proposes an approach, guided by the Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic, and Accessibility (FEA²) model, to initiate the adaptive swimsuit redesign process based on existing literature.

Keywords: Paralympics, limb deficiency, adaptive swimming apparel, redesign

How to Cite:

Villanueva, I. D. & Trejo, H. X., (2025) “Towards Redesigning Swimsuits for Paralympic Swimmers with Limb Deficiency”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21881