Classification in Parasports is a process that ensures fair competition by grouping athletes with similar impairments together.
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.
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:
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:
For athletes who have a reduced ability to voluntarily contract their muscles to move or generate force.
Examples: muscular dystrophy, paraplegia
For athletes who have restricted or lack passive movement in their joints.
Examples: chronic joint immobilisation, trauma affecting a joint
For athletes who have total or partial absence of bones or joints.
Examples: amputation, congenital limb deficiency
For athletes who have a difference in the length of their legs.
For athletes who have a reduced length in the bones of their upper/lower limbs or trunk.
Examples: growth hormone dysfunction, osteogenesis imperfecta
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
For athletes who have uncoordinated movements caused by damage to the central nervous system.
Examples: cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis
For athletes who have continual slow, involuntary movements.
Examples: cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke
For athletes who have reduced or no vision.
Examples: retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy
For athletes who have a restriction in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour.
The impairment must be present before the age of 18.
For more information on classification, visit:
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