Paralympic Athletics

Sport Summary:

Athletics has been part of the Paralympic Games since Rome in 1960 and events are open to male and female athletes in all disability groups.

Advances in technology and athletes' dedication to the sport have made once unimaginable feats become realities.

Some compete in wheelchairs, others with prostheses and athletes with blindness/visual impairment compete with the guidance of a sighted companion.

Athletes compete according to their functional classifications in each event and these events are continually being redefined to include as many athletes as possible.

Paralympic Events to be contested at Beijing 2008:

Track:

  • 100m
  • 200m
  • 400m
  • 800m
  • 1500m
  • 5000m
  • 10000m
  • 4X100m
  • 4X400m

Field:

  • Shot Put
  • Discus
  • Javelin
  • Club Throw
  • Long Jump
  • High Jump

Road

  • Marathon

Combined

  • Pentathlon. 

Click here to view the nomination criteria for the 2008 Paralympic Team in pdf.

Rules & Equipment:

Many paralympic athletics events require specific sports equipment for example, the discus, shot or javelin. 

In addition athletes may use certain assistive devices as specified in the IPC Athletics rules. 

This technology continues to advance at a rapid rate.

Wheelchairs are considered to be sports equipment in track and field events. Athletics wheelchairs tend to be very lightweight. The dimensions and features of wheelchairs are clearly specified in the IPC Athletics rules.

Prosthetic devices may be used by amputees.  These have been specifically developed to withstand the demands of sports competition. IPC rules require the use of leg prostheses in track events; however, the use of prostheses in field events is optional.

Rope tethers or other devices may be used by runners with a visual impairment to link with their sighted guides. Acoustic devices (or a sighted "caller") may be used to indicate take-off in jumping events, throwing target areas, etc.

Classification:

In Athletics, athletes from all Paralympic disability categories compete: 

  • Classes 11, 12 and 13 cover the different levels of visual impairment.
  • Classes 32-38 cover athletes with different levels of cerebral palsy – both wheelchair (32 - 34) and ambulant (35 - 38).
  • Classes 40-46 cover ambulant athletes with different levels of amputations and other disabilities, including les Autres (eg. dwarfism).
  • Classes 51-58 cover wheelchair athletes with different levels of spinal cord injuries and amputations.

Links: