The 2012 ICF Paracanoe World Championships were held on 16 and 17 May 2012 in Poznań, Poland as a standalone event since the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are not held in Olympic years.
[1] Paracanoe competitions are contested in either a va'a (V), an outrigger canoe (which includes a second pontoon) with a single-blade paddle, or in a kayak (K), a closed canoe with a double-bladed paddle.
All international competitions are held over 200 metres in single-man boats, with three event classes in both types of vessel for men and women depending on the level of an athlete's impairment; these being A (use of arms only), TA (use of trunk and arms), and LTA (use of legs, trunk, and arms).
[2] * Host nation (Poland)