Rowing at the Rio 2016 Paralympics: All you need to know

Britain's Rachel Morris (left) was a Paralympic handcycling champion before switching to rowing in 2015

How does it work?

There are four events on the Paralympic rowing programme: the men's arms and shoulders only single scull (ASM1x), the women's arms and shoulders only single scull (ASW1x), the trunk and arms mixed double scull (TAMix2x) and the legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+).

All events are raced over 1,000m and competitors race in heats and repechages before going on to contest the finals.

Seats in both the mixed double and single scull events are fixed and are adapted to provide additional support to the athletes. The single scull boats are also equipped with buoyancy devices to provide additional balance to the boats.

Coxed four rowers must be able to use a sliding seat to propel the boat. In the four, a maximum of two rowers with visual impairment are allowed per crew while the other rowers in the crew have physical impairments. There must be two rowers of each sex in the crew. The cox can be of either sex and is not required to have an impairment.

In the double scull event, rowers who are not able to use a sliding seat, who have functional use of the trunk but who have weakened function or mobility of their lower limbs are eligible to compete.

Single scull rowers have no or minimal trunk function - in the main body from the neck down to the hips - and are reliant on their arms and/or shoulders to propel the boat.

Who are the British medal hopes?

All nine members of the Great Britain squad have world medals to their name. The mixed coxed four won gold in London but only Pam Relph returns to bid for a second gold medal although the boat is unbeaten in major competition over the last three years.

Who are the other medal challengers?

In the ASM1x event, Erik Horrie has been the dominant figure with World Championship golds in 2013, 2014 and 2015 but the Australian, who won silver at London 2012, has been struggling with a shoulder injury.

The USA will be a strong challenger to the GB boat in the mixed coxed four while world champions Australia will be hoping for more glory in the mixed double sculls.

Did you know?

Rachel Morris won gold for Britain in handcycling in Beijing in 2008 and bronze at London 2012 and gained World Championship silver in her new sport in 2015.

ParalympicsGB London 2012 medals

One (Naomi Riches, Pam Relph, James Roe, David Smith and cox Lily van den Broeke, gold, mixed coxed four).