Understanding classification in parasports
Classification in Parasports is a process that ensures fair competition by grouping athletes with similar impairments together. Athletes must be evaluated and assigned a Sport Class and Sport Class Status to compete.
It allows athletes with disability to compete equally with each other, similar to how athletes can be grouped by age or gender.
Athletes must be evaluated and assigned a Sport Class and Sport Class Status to compete.
Typically, a letter and a number designate the classification, e.g. S for swimming and 11 for a vision impairment—combined, you would classify the athlete as S11.
How are athletes evaluated?
National sporting organisations (NSOs) work with the Paralympic body of their country to implement the International Paralympic Committee’s Athlete Classification Code.
For example, in Australia, Paralympics Australia works with NSOs across the country to accurately assess and classify athletes.
The evaluation asks three questions:
- Does the athlete have an Eligible Impairment for this sport?
- Does the athlete’s Eligible Impairment meet the Minimum Impairment Criteria of the sport?
- Which Sport Class should the athlete be allocated based on the requirements of the sport?
Types/impairment classification
Generally, classification is divided into three broad categories: physical disability, vision impairment, and intellectual disability.
However, under the International Paralympic Committee, there are ten eligible impairment types:
1. Impaired Muscle Power
For athletes who have a reduced ability to voluntarily contract their muscles to move or generate force.
Examples: muscular dystrophy, paraplegia
2. Impaired Passive Range of Movement
For athletes who have restricted or lack passive movement in their joints.
Examples: chronic joint immobilisation, trauma affecting a joint
3. Limb Deficiency
For athletes who have total or partial absence of bones or joints.
Examples: amputation, congenital limb deficiency
4. Leg Length Difference
For athletes who have a difference in the length of their legs.
5. Short Stature
For athletes who have a reduced length in the bones of their upper/lower limbs or trunk.
Examples: growth hormone dysfunction, osteogenesis imperfecta
6. Hypertonia
For athletes who have an increase in muscle tension and a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch. This is usually due to damage to the central nervous system.
Examples: cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke
7. Ataxia
For athletes who have uncoordinated movements caused by damage to the central nervous system.
Examples: cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis
8. Athetosis
For athletes who have continual slow, involuntary movements.
Examples: cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke
9. Vision Impairment
For athletes who have reduced or no vision.
Examples: retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy
10. Intellectual Impairment
For athletes who have a restriction in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour.
The impairment must be present before the age of 18.
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