Question 1

What are the eligible impairments in para sport?

Accepted Answer

There are 7: 5 physical impairments, namely impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency and/or limb length difference, short stature, and coordination impairments (hypertonia or spasticity, motor ataxia and dyskinesia), together with vision impairment and intellectual impairment. Each must be permanent and arise from an underlying health condition. Older resources based on the 2015 Code count 10, because hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis were listed separately, as were limb deficiency and leg length difference.

Question 2

How does para sport classification work?

Accepted Answer

Classification works in 4 stages. First, an underlying health condition is confirmed. Second, it must lead to an eligible impairment that the sport caters for. Third, the impairment must meet the sport's minimum impairment criteria. Fourth, the athlete is allocated a sport class, by how much the impairment affects the tasks of that sport, and a sport class status.

Question 3

What is boosting in para sport?

Accepted Answer

Boosting is the deliberate induction of autonomic dysreflexia, a dangerous surge in blood pressure, by athletes with higher-level spinal cord injuries in an attempt to enhance performance. It is dangerous and prohibited. Autonomic dysreflexia itself is a medical emergency covered on the spinal cord injury page.

Question 4

Why might a para athlete be reviewed or reclassified?

Accepted Answer

The sport class status shows whether and when re-evaluation is needed: confirmed, review at the next available opportunity, or review with a fixed review date. Review may follow a progressive or fluctuating condition, an athlete who has not reached full musculoskeletal or sporting maturity, or a change in a sport's rules.

Impairment Groups in Para Sport

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