You’re all set to watch the 2024 Paralympic Games. But as you watch the competition, you can’t help but wonder: Why are there 16 men’s 100m races on the track, but 7 women’s 400m freestyle events in the pool? And what are all those letters and numbers next to the names of each event?
The answer to both is classification, a system that groups athletes according to the type of impairment they have (such as vision impairment, muscle weakness or limb loss) and how it affects their ability to perform the skills required to compete. As the Paralympics continue, here’s what you need to know about the system to help you make sense of what you’re watching.
Why do Paralympic classifications exist in the first place?
The key is to make the competition as fair as possible by pitting players of equal ability against each other; otherwise, the player with the least disability will often win. International Paralympic Committee In the International Pro Wrestling Committee (IPC) classification, victory is determined by fitness, skill, focus, athleticism, or IPC standards. explain Instead, let’s use the term “sports excellence.”
Athletes often compete against others with similar disabilities, but it is less about the health condition itself and more about how and to what extent it affects their movement, coordination, and balance. For example, athletes with spinal cord injuries, birth defects such as spina bifida, and complications from viral illnesses may compete against each other if they have similar effects on their bodies. World Para Athletics.
How does it all get categorized?
There are 10 types of disabilities required to be eligible to compete at an international level in Paralympic sports. Eight of these are physical disabilities, including short stature, physical disabilities such as amputation, and lack of muscle strength due to paralysis. The remaining two are visual impairment and intellectual disability.
Some sports, such as athletics and swimming, allow athletes with all 10 types of impairment to compete. Other sports are limited to one impairment. For example, goalball is only open to athletes with visual impairments, and para-powerlifting, a bench press event for athletes with leg or back impairments, does not have specific classes, only weight categories. Meanwhile, sports such as para-dressage and para-cycling only allow a limited number of impairments.
So what exactly do the letters and numbers mean?
Athletes are classified into sport classes, first according to the type of impairment they have and then according to the extent to which their impairment affects them and their competitive ability.
The letters correspond to sports – for example, swimming is S, track is T (running and jumping), field is F (throwing), shooting is SH, para-boating is PR. Some sports also have subcategories – for example, road cyclists might be in a class starting with C for cycling, H for handbiking, T for tricycles, and a blind rider competing on a tandem bike might be in a class starting with B.
The numbers indicate both the type and degree of impairment and vary depending on the sport. A higher number usually means a lesser impairment, but not always. For example, in swimming, classes S11 to S13 are visually impaired. S11 athletes have little to no vision and wear black goggles to ensure that everyone competes on an equal footing. S13 Athlete Although your peripheral vision may be limited, you can see the edge of the pool from up to 5 meters (about 16 feet) away.
Why are there different classes for different sports?
Each sport has its own history and governing body that dictates the rules for its competitors, so one size doesn’t fit all. Additionally, each requires specific skills and movements. What holds someone back in track sports might not be as much of a problem for someone in wheelchair fencing or paracanoeing, and vice versa.
