Photograph: Sport the Library via Wikimedia Commons | Madison de Rozario at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London
After 4 long years of rigorous training, hardcore discipline, and internal battles of strength and motivation the highly anticipated Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024 had arrived. In these games, athletes from all over the world assemble at a chosen location to participate in various sports in a display of skill, courage, and determination. This year, Paris, France organized these incredible events and accommodated athletes during their stay.
With the Olympic Games reaching their end, the spotlight shines on the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games beginning on August 28th. As we tune in to watch our favourite sports, certain aspects of the Paralympics and the way athletes are classified might be confusing. In this article, we will discuss the classification system and sports classes that create the core of the Paralympics.
Defining the Paralympics:
The term Paralympics arose from the much longer name “Parallel to the Olympics”. As the creation of these games came much after the Olympics, they were described as parallel to the Olympics. The same logic rings true for the terms ‘parasports’ and ‘para-athletes’.
International Paralympic Committee Classification:
To understand how the Paralympics works, we must understand the classification system used to group athletes into their specified sport. The Paralympics and any parasport in general, would not exist without a proper classification system that groups athletes with similar activity limitations from their impairments. For example, athletes could be grouped for competition based on short stature. However, the impairment causing the short stature could arise from any condition such as a traumatic event or a birth defect.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) must perform ‘Athlete Evaluations’ for proper classification. Otherwise, it could create unfair advantages or disadvantages if para-athletes don’t have similar activity limitations.
How does the Athlete Evaluation work?
The IPC’s Athlete Evaluation must answer the following 3 questions:
Does the athlete have an Eligible Impairment?
There are 10 Eligible Impairment types that the IPC looks for, and they are divided into 3 categories:
a) Physical Impairments
b) Visual Impairments
c) Intellectual Impairments.
Each sport defines which impairments are eligible for their specific activities. I.e., Swimming allows opportunities for athletes with all 10 eligible impairments, while Goalball is specific for athletes with vision impairments.
The 10 Eligible Impairment types are summarized in the following image:
The assessment to determine if an athlete has an eligible impairment for a specific sport is conducted by the International Sport Federation responsible for that sport.
Does the Athlete meet the Minimum Impairment Criteria for a Sport?
Every sport has its own Minimum Impairment Criteria where athletes must meet a certain severity of impairment to be eligible for competition.
For example, athletes with limb deficiencies must meet a certain level of amputation according to their sport’s Minimum Impairment Criteria.
These criteria are created through scientific research that determines the impact of an athlete’s impairment on a sport.
What Sport Class should the athlete be assigned to?
Once the classification panel evaluates that an athlete has an eligible impairment and meets the minimum impairment criteria for a sport, it is time to decide the sport class the athlete will compete in.
Athletes are assigned to a sports class that groups them with other athletes who have similar levels of functional ability. Each sport has its classification system.
The type and number of sports classes differ by sport and often include athletes with different impairments as long their functional ability is similar.
Sport classes are typically titled by a letter (usually the first letter of the sport) followed by a number (usually the lower the number the more severe the activity limitation). I.e., S10 (S for swimming and 10 for the activity limitation).
Some examples of sport classes are described below:
Para-swimming:
S1-S10: Physical Impairment
S11-13: Visual Impairment
S14+: Intellectual Impairment
Para-athletics:
‘T’ is for track and jump events and the ‘F’ stands for field events.
11-13: Vision Impairment
20: Intellectual Impairment
31-38: co-ordination impairments
40-47: short stature, upper limb competing with prosthesis or equivalent, lower limb competing with prosthesis or equivalent
T51-54: wheelchair races
F51-58: seated throws
61-64: lower limb competing with prosthesis
For more information on sport classes for other sports, visit: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/paralympic-classification
The classification system used by the International Paralympic Committee is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Games. Each athlete is carefully evaluated based on scientific research to ensure fair competition. As we brace ourselves to watch the upcoming Paralympic Games of Paris 2024, we can rely on the classification system to better understand the impressive display of athleticism from our beloved para-athletes.
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