Time to Deliver: The Final Push for IPC Compliance and Paralympic Reinstatement

 

The road to reinstating sailing in the Paralympic Games has never been short - but we are now approaching the most pivotal stage of the journey so far. After years of advocacy, alignment, and development, World Sailing’s application for inclusion in the 2032 Paralympic Games will be submitted to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in December 2025. This submission is not simply a proposal - it is a mandate on our entire sport.

Are we ready?
Are we serious?

And can we prove, with clarity and confidence, that Para sailing meets the standards, the spirit, and the criteria of the Paralympic Movement?

To answer "yes" to those questions, we must now move from theory to delivery. The IPC is not looking for potential. They are looking for performance.

 

That means robust, independently verifiable data across classification, anti-doping, participation, and governance. It means inclusive events delivered to international standards. It means clear pathways for athletes to progress and for nations to engage. We’ve made progress on all fronts and this is our final window to turn alignment into action and ambition into evidence.

 

The Para Inclusive Strategy, launched in 2024, is our blueprint for systemic change. It called for broader access, more integrated programming, equitable governance, and a global approach to classification. Over the last few years, we’ve rolled out the Inclusive Development Programme (IDP), empowered new nations, launched the World Sailing Inclusion Championships, and developed tailored tools and resources for MNAs and classes. We’ve built the scaffolding and assembled the framework – strategies, tools, systems. Now we must show it works.

 

Sailing offers something unique to the Paralympic Movement. It is one of the few sports where athletes with high support needs compete on equal terms with those who have lesser impairments. It provides meaningful and competitive opportunities for athletes with visual, intellectual, and physical impairments, ensuring that the sport reflects the full diversity of the disability community. It is also one of the rare disciplines where men and women, young and old, sit side by side in true open competition. Sailing is Para sport in the great outdoors and it fosters independence, resilience, and strategic thinking. And it offers a lifelong sporting pathway - accessible, adaptable, and inclusive for all.

 

We don’t need to sell sailing. We need to show that the systems now exist to support it at scale, inclusively, and with integrity. That is what the IPC needs to see. It’s why participation tracking matters. It’s why classification compliance matters. It’s why events, results, anti-doping education, and documentation - all the less glamorous details - matter. They are the foundation of credibility.

 

And this work cannot be carried by a single office or a small team. It is a community-wide effort. Every MNA that hosts a training camp or event, every class that opens its events to Para sailors, every coach that completes an education module, every sailor who shares their journey - it all counts. But it must be intentional. We need action, not just awareness.

 

This is our moment to come together, not in reaction, but in conviction. Sailing belongs in the Paralympics not because of sentiment, but because of its value. We have what it takes to be a cornerstone of inclusive sport - but only if we prove it. The time to do that is now.

 

Happy sailing