Para-athletics classification is a system to determine which athletes with disabilities may compete against each other in
para-athletics
Para-athletics is the sport of athletics practiced by people with a disability as a disabled sports, parasport. The list of athletics events, athletics events within the parasport are mostly the same as those available to able-bodied people, w ...
events. Classification is intended to group together athletes with similar levels of physical ability to allow fair competition. Classification was created and is managed by the
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement.
The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...
(IPC), which is regularly published via its ''IPC Athletics Classification Handbook''. People with physical, vision and intellectual disabilities are eligible to compete in this sport at the
Summer Paralympics
The Summer Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebr ...
. The classification for this sport was created during the 1940s and for much of its early history was a medical condition based classification system. The classification system has subsequently become a functional mobility based one, and is moving towards an evidence-based classification system.
Each class has a code consisting of a letter and two digits, with the letter being either "T" or "F" (indicating track or field events) and the number representing the level of physical ability. The current IPC classifications for athletics can be grouped by impairment as follows:
*T/F11–13 (
visual impairment
Visual or vision impairment (VI or VIP) is the partial or total inability of visual perception. In the absence of treatment such as corrective eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment, visual impairment may cause the individual difficul ...
)
*
T/F20 (
intellectual impairment
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
)
*T/F31–34 (wheelchair events for athletes with a
movement disorder
Movement disorders are clinical syndromes with either an excess of movement or a paucity of voluntary and involuntary movements, unrelated to weakness or spasticity. Movement disorders present with extrapyramidal symptoms and are caused by basa ...
, including
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...
)
*T/F35–38 (ambulant events for athletes with a movement disorder, including cerebral palsy)
*T/F40–41 (
short stature
Short stature refers to a height of a human which is below typical. Whether a person is considered short depends on the context. Because of the lack of preciseness, there is often disagreement about the degree of shortness that should be called ...
, including
dwarfism
Dwarfism is a condition of people and animals marked by unusually small size or short stature. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is . '' ...
)
*T/F42–44 (leg impairment, lower limb affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement)
*T/F45–47 (arm impairment, upper limbs affected by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement)
*T/F51–57 (wheelchair events for athletes with a lower body impairment, including
paraplegia
Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek ()
"half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...
)
*
T/F61-64 (Lower limb/s competing with prosthesis affected by
limb deficiency and
leg length difference)
Definition
Para-athletics classification at the Paralympic Games is the basis for determining who can compete in specific athletic sports, and within which class. It is used for the purposes of establishing fair competition. The general rules for para-athletics are based on rules intended for able-bodied competitors.
The blind classifications are based on medical classification, not functional classification.
File:B1 class.png, Visualisation of functional vision for a T11 classified competitor
File:B2 class.png, Visualisation of functional vision for a T12 classified competitor
File:B3 class.png, Visualisation of functional vision for a T13 classified competitor
File:S14 class.png, Visualisation of classification for a T20 classified competitor
Profile 19.png, Disability type for some T42 classified competitors
File:Profile 51.png, Disability type for some T43 classified competitors
File:Profile 52.png, Disability type for some T43 classified competitors
File:Profile 23.png, Disability type for some T44 classified competitors
File:Wheelchair_rugby_profile_classification_C5-6.svg, Functional mobility range for a T51 classified competitor
File:Wheelchair_rugby_profile_classification_C7-8.svg, Functional mobility range for a T52 classified competitor
Beyond the level of vision impairment, research done at the Central Institute on Employment Abilities of the Handicapped in Moscow has found differences in functional capabilities based on differences in visual acuity. This plays a significant role in athletics races.
Governance
Classification is handled by the
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement.
The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...
, with classification spelled in the ''IPC Athletics Classification Handbook.''
[ While CP-ISRA has an interest in the sport because it is open to people with cerebral palsy, it is not governed by them.] In 1983, the rules for this sport and approval for classification was done by the International Amateur Athletics Federation
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, covering ...
. At the 1992 Summer Games, athletics classification was governed by four different sporting bodies including the IBSA, ISOD, ISMWSF and the CP-ISRA.
Eligibility
, people with physical, vision, and intellectual disabilities are eligible to compete in this sport.
History
The classification for this sport was created during the 1940s and for much of its early history was a medical condition based classification system. An example of classification in this period was L2 SCI, which was for competitors who had normal functioning except for lower limb paralysis. These competitors would not compete in wheelchair races against double above the knee amputees because, while their functional disabilities were similar, their medical conditions were not. The first wheelchair races took place by 1952 at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a large National Health Service (NHS) hospital located on the parish borders of Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. It is managed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
It was established ...
.[ By 1955, Germans had realised there was a need for classification in athletics event because it was systematically unfair to insist a double leg above the knee amputee compete against able bodied athletes in events like the shot put.]
In 1964, the International Sport Organization for the Disabled
World Abilitysport (formerly the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation or IWAS) is an international sports organisation that governs sports for athletes with physical impairments.
It is a registered charity with its headquarte ...
(ISOD) was created. They created the first formal classification system, which had 27 classes. This was reduced to 12 classes for the 1976 Summer Paralympics
The 1976 Summer Paralympics (), branded as Torontolympiad – 1976 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled, was the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were hosted by Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 3 to 11 August 1976, marking the first time a ...
and was further reduced to nine classes for the 1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics (; ) were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In addition, the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with mental handicap were held immediately after the regular Paralymp ...
. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the classification system, set up as a series of "handicaps", was seen as problematic because in an effort to clearly describe a disability and promote fairness, the number of classifications made the organisation of competitive events difficult. There were too few people in a classification to the point where an international event for people with disabilities said "1000 competitors = 1000 winners." There were some exceptions to this in classes like double leg paralysis as a result of brain or spinal injury and single leg amputations.[
In 1983, classification for cerebral palsy competitors in this sport was done by the ]Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association ( CPISRA), a founding member of the Paralympic movement, was an international sports and recreation association for cerebral palsy and related neurological conditions. CPISRA organ ...
(CP-ISRA). There were five cerebral palsy classifications. That year, 80 to 85% of all competitors with cerebral palsy competed in the same classification. There was separate classification for track events and field events. Class 2 competitors would compete in the 20 metre race using arm propulsion, 60 metre race using leg propulsion, 200 metre race using leg propulsion and the 3 x 60 metre shuttle relay event, which required 3 competitors from class 2 and 3 of which one had to be a class 2 competitor. In field events, competitors could compete in the medicine ball thrust, the kickball event, the club throw event and the shot put.
In 1983, Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association ( CPISRA), a founding member of the Paralympic movement, was an international sports and recreation association for cerebral palsy and related neurological conditions. CPISRA organ ...
(CP-ISRA) set eligibility rules for classification. They defined cerebral palsy as a non-progressive brain lesion that results in impairment. People with cerebral palsy or non-progressive brain damage were eligible for classification by them. The organisation also dealt with classification for people with similar impairments. For their classification system, people with spina bifida
Spina bifida (SB; ; Latin for 'split spine') is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the vertebral column, spine and the meninges, membranes around the spinal cord during embryonic development, early development in pregnancy. T ...
were not eligible unless they had medical evidence of loco-motor dysfunction. People with cerebral palsy and epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
were eligible provided the condition did not interfere with their ability to compete. People who had strokes were eligible for classification following medical clearance. Competitors with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...
, muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...
and arthrogryposis Arthrogryposis (AMC) describes congenital joint contracture in two or more areas of the body. It derives its name from Greek, literally meaning 'curving of joints' (', 'joint'; ', late Latin form of late Greek ', 'hooking').
Children born with one ...
were not eligible for classification by CP-ISRA, but were eligible for classification by International Sports Organisation for the Disabled
World Abilitysport (formerly the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation or IWAS) is an international sports organisation that governs sports for athletes with Physical disability, physical impairments.
It is a registered charity ...
for the Games of Les Autres
A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art (such ...
.
During the 1980s, there were 8 classes for cerebral palsy competitors, 3 classes for competitors with visual impairments, 9 classes for competitors with ambulatory issues and six classes for Les Autres athletes. Intellectual disability athletics classifications existed by the 1984 within the context of the Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
. In some cases, one intellectual disability class existed with events broken down by age in order to allow equal competition for runners. Some of these races were held in Canada and disability classes competed during able bodied events.
Going into the 1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics (; ) were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In addition, the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with mental handicap were held immediately after the regular Paralymp ...
, there was a push to move more towards a functional classification system by the International Coordinating Committee and the Technical Committee of the International Paralympic Committee. This came to a head at the November 1989 meeting of the Barcelona Olympics Organising Committee, when a discussion was started about what events and classifications should be eligible for the Games. A study by the organising committee and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia
The Polytechnic University of Catalonia (, , ; UPC), currently referred to as BarcelonaTech, is the largest polytechnic university in Catalonia, Spain.
UPC's objectives are based on internationalization, as it is one of Europe's techni ...
in the lead up to the meeting. It looked at the results for the 1984 and 1987 Stoke Mandeville Games, the 1984 New York Games, a 1985 Brussels competition, a 1985 Rome competition, a 1986 Puerto Rico competition, a 1987 Paris competition, the 1988 Seoul Games and a 1989 Nottingham competition. The study proposed a series of classes, based on the competitive results, for use in Barcelona. The local organising committee was insistent such a system be implemented to insure the sport at the Paralympic Games was serious and competitive, instead of recreational. The suggestions for classification were then implemented for sports such as swimming and athletics. During the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a movement away from medical classification and into functional classification systems. Following this, the 1992 Summer Paralympics had four wheelchair racing classifications, down from 7 at the 1988 Summer Paralympics.
During the 1990s, there was a decision to try to fix athlete classification so that competitors could have more certainty in which classification they would compete in before attending an event. This was a big change as previously, athletes would be classified right before and during an event.
In 1992, the International Paralympic Committee formally took control of governance for disability sport. The 1992 Games were the first ones where athletes of different types of disabilities competed against each other, athletes had a guaranteed right to appeal their classification. The wheelchair classifications were part of the 1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games ( French: ''XVéme Jeux du Commonwealth'') were held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, between 18 and 28 August 1994. Ten types of sports were featured at the Victoria Games: athletics, aquatics, badminton, box ...
.
At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, there were 44 athletics classifications, 20 for track and 24 for field. The classifications covered four broad disability types. In 1997, there were four spinal injury related classifications for wheelchair track athletes. They were T1 for tetraplegics, T2 for competitors with partial mobility in their trunk and arms, T3 for competitors who had use of their trunk halfway down and good arms, and T4 for able-bodied athletes from the waist and things, which also included double amputees. A classification system from F1 to F7 existing at the time for wheelchair competitors in field events. A classification system also existed for blind athletes from B1 to B3.
Going into the 2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was the last time that the Summer Paralympics were organized by two different Organ ...
, there were concerns raised by members of the cerebral palsy community about the need to maintain a multiple functional classification system inside this sport specifically for this class of athletes given the large range of functional ability inside the community with cerebral palsy and other motor functional disabilities. Several classes in this sport were included in the 2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...
. The new classification system made T1 equivalent to <C6 neurological impairment level and 1A for medical classification, T2 equivalent to CYB neurological impairment level, and 1B and 1C for medical classification, T3 equivalent to C7-T7 neurological impairment level, and 1c, 2 and 3 for medical classification, and T4 equivalent to T8-S2 neurological impairment level and 3, 4, 5 and 6 for medical classification. In 2005, athletics had fifty different races for the 100 metre race when gender and classification events were totaled. These include seven wheelchair classifications, six les autres classes, nine amputee classes, eight cerebral palsy classes, and three blinded classes.
Because of issues in objectively identifying functionality that plagued the post Barcelona Games, the IPC unveiled plans to develop a new classification system in 2003. This classification system went into effect in 2007, and defined ten different disability types that were eligible to participate on the Paralympic level. It required that classification be sport specific, and served two roles. The first was that it determined eligibility to participate in the sport and that it created specific groups of sportspeople who were eligible to participate and in which class. The IPC left it up to International Federations to develop their own classification systems within this framework, with the specification that their classification systems use an evidence based approach developed through research. Functional classifications continued to be used in the 2010s. In 2010, the IPC announced that they would release a new IPC Athletics Classification handbook that specifically dealt with physical impairments. This classification guide would be put into effect following the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Sum ...
. Athletes needed to be at least 18 years old to compete in the T40/F40 and T41/F41 classes. This was to prevent still growing children from competing in this class despite otherwise not having a disability.
The debate about inclusion of competitors into able-bodied competitions was seen by some disability sport advocates like Horst Strokhkendl
Horst may refer to:
Science
* Horst (geology), a raised fault block bounded by normal faults or graben
People
* Horst (given name)
* Horst (surname)
* ter Horst, Dutch surname
* van der Horst, Dutch surname
Places Settlements Germany
* Ho ...
as a hindrance to the development of an independent classification system not based on the rules for able-bodied sport.
Classes
There are four classifications for wheelchair athletes with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...
and similar movement disorders: T31, T32, T33 and T34.[ There are also four classes for wheelchair athletes with other impairments, such as spinal cord injury. They include T51, T52, T53 and T54.] The T54 classification currently in use is comparable to but broader than the early L2 SCI classification. Like L2 SCI, it includes competitors with normal functioning except for lower limb paralysis; unlike SCI L2, it also includes bilateral leg amputees. If a racer's abdominal muscles are paralysed, they may be classified as a T53. Events for wheelchair class athletes range from 100 metre races to the marathon.[
In athletics, bilateral below the elbow amputations have a minimal impact on functional ability to run distances. As a result, athletic classifications differ from swimming because of the differences in body use requirements impacting performance.]
Levels of classification
There are levels of classification available: Provisional, National and International. The first is for athletes who do not have access to a full classification panel; it is a temporary indication of class, used only in lower levels of competition. The second can be used in all domestic competitions. To compete internationally, an International-level classification is required.
At the Paralympic Games
Wheelchair racing was one of the foundation sports at the original 1960 Summer Paralympics
The 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, retroactively designated as the 1960 Summer Paralympics, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under ...
.[ Only wheelchair classified athletes were eligible to compete at the ]1960 Summer Paralympics
The 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, retroactively designated as the 1960 Summer Paralympics, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under ...
in Rome in this sport. This continued at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
The , originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games,
dinf.ne.jp, March 17, 1 ...
in Tokyo and 1968 Summer Paralympics
The 1968 Summer Paralympics () were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time. ...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
.[
As demonstration sports, amputee and visually impaired classifications were allowed to compete in athletics for the first at time at ]1972 Summer Paralympics
The 1972 Summer Paralympics (), the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from 2 to 11 August 1972. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were k ...
. Competitors with cerebral palsy classifications were allowed to compete at the Paralympics for the first time at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
The 1984 International Games for the Disabled, commonly known as the 1984 Summer Paralympics, were the seventh Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes w ...
.
At the 1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics (; ) were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In addition, the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with mental handicap were held immediately after the regular Paralymp ...
, all disability types were eligible to participate, with classification being run through all the major classifying bodies, with classification being done based on disability type. General and functional classification took place in the Paralympic Village in block 2 from 29 to 31 August.[
At the 1996 Paralympic Games, on the spot classification required sporting equipment available for classifiers to use to assess field competitors' classification.][ At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, classification was important because if on the spot classifications resulted in changes to a competitor's classification, it impacted the competition schedule. Consequently, on the spot classification or re-classification, was viewed as a negative aspect for these Games and the Paralympic movement overall.][ At the ]2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was the last time that the Summer Paralympics were organized by two different Organ ...
, 215 assessments were conducted at the Games. This resulted in 30 class changes. 3 of these were protested by a national Paralympic committee and 9 by PNS. 8 of these were upheld and 4 were denied. There were 28 classification appeals lodged for athletics at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was the last time that the Summer Paralympics were organized by two different Organ ...
involving 18 athletes which resulted in 10 class changes.
For the 2016 Summer Paralympics
The 2016 Summer Paralympics (), the 15th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for disabled sports, athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, f ...
in Rio, the International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement.
The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...
had a zero classification at the Games policy. This policy was put into place in 2014, with the goal of avoiding last minute changes in classes that would negatively impact athlete training preparations. All competitors needed to be internationally classified with their classification status confirmed prior to the Games, with exceptions to this policy being dealt with on a case-by-case basis. In case there was a need for classification or reclassification at the Games despite best efforts otherwise, athletics classification was scheduled for September 4 and September 5 at Olympic Stadium. For sportspeople with physical or intellectual disabilities going through classification or reclassification in Rio, their in competition observation event is their first appearance in competition at the Games.
Future
Disability sport's major classification body, the International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement.
The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...
, is working on improving classification to be more of an evidence-based system as opposed to a performance-based system so as not to punish elite athletes whose performance makes them appear in a higher class alongside competitors who train less.
See also
* Disability sport classification
Disability sports classification is a system that allows for fair competition between people with different types of disabilities.
Historically, the process has been overseen by 2 groups: specific disability type sport organizations that cover mul ...
References
{{Cerebral palsy sport classification