how the Paralympics classification system keeps things fair??
Millions of people are expected to watch the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro over 11 days this September. Chances are you will see a swimmer with one leg on the blocks next to another swimmer with two legs and two arms. So how that can be fair?
The secret is a process called classification.
Classification underlies all Paralympic sport, yet the concept – and its practical application – is possibly the greatest barrier to the broader community’s understanding of the Paralympics.
Classification is the process of allocating athletes into classes so that they compete against others whose impairment affects them to a similar degree in their sport.
Who can compete?
The Paralympics are for athletes with a physical, intellectual or visual impairment.
But not every person with a disability is eligible for the Paralympics, and not every athlete who is eligible for the Paralympics is eligible for every sport.
Some sports, such as athletics and swimming, have events for athletes with any impairment who meet a threshold disability requirement.
Other sports, such as 7-a-side football or goalball, are reserved for athletes with a specific form of impairment.
The first element of classification is to determine whether an athlete has an impairment that makes them eligible for a sport.
