Unlike traditional races, the winners are not the swimmers who touch the wall first. Instead, a mathematical points formula is applied to each athlete’s time to determine the final ranking.

The formula awards points according to how close a swimmer’s result is to the world‑record standard that has been set for their specific classification. The nearer the time to that record, the higher the points earned.

Katie Cosgriffe illustrated the system perfectly: the 20‑year‑old from Burlington, Ontario, won the women’s multi‑class 100‑metre backstroke with a season‑best of 1:08.1, earning 962 points and the gold medal. Her closest rivals, Ali Truwit and Gia Pergolini, collected 955 and 954 points respectively, taking silver and bronze.

This points‑based approach ensures that athletes from different classes can compete on an even footing, rewarding performance relative to each class’s world‑record potential rather than raw speed alone.