Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Cycling
at the Paralympic Games

Paralympic Cycling
VenueRio Olympic Velodrome
Copacabana Cluster
DatesSeptember 2016
Competitors230

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics shall consist of 50 events in two main disciplines, track cycling and road cycling. The venues will be the Rio Olympic Velodrome for track cycling in the Barra Cluster, and the Flamengo Park for the road cycling disciplines in the Copacapana Cluster.[1] Eighteen events will be contested on the track, and 32 on the road.[2]

Classification

Cyclists are given a classification depending on the type and extent of their disability, known as a functional system and introduced in 2012. The classification system allows cyclists to compete against others with a similar level of function. The class number indicates the severity of impairment with "1" being most impaired.

Athletes are classified according to their functional ability across four broad categories (Blind or partially sighted tandem, handcycle, tricycle and standard bicycle).[3]

Riders with recovering or deteriorating conditions such as MS are eligible but must have been reclassified within six months of a World Championships or Paralympic Games to ensure their classification is correct.

Specialised equipment including prostheses is only allowed where it has been specifically approved.

Cycling at the 2016 Summer Paralympics - Classification of events[3]
Classification Bicycle used Description
B Tandem bicycle Athletes who have visual impairments ride tandem bicycles with a guide. They may have any level of visual impairment between no light perception in either eye through to a visual acuity of 6/60 and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees.[4]
H (1-5) Handcycle Handcycle events are for athletes who are amputees, have paraplegia or tetraplegia.
They are classified as an H1, H2, H3 or H4, with H1 being the most severely impaired. H1, H2, H3 and H4 cyclists will all compete in a lying position, whereas H5 cyclists compete in a kneeling position.[3]
T (1-2) Tricycle Tricycle events are for those cyclists who have a neurological condition or an impairment which has a comparable effect on their cycling so that they are not able to compete on a standard bicycle for reasons of balance. There are two classifications of tricycle: T1 and T2. Of these, T1 is for the more severely impaired athletes.[3]
C (1-5) Standard bicycle for riders with moderate locomotion impairment who do not require a tricycle[3]

Factored events

Some Cycling events, 16 in total across track and road, are factored. This happens when cyclists from different classes compete against each other and means that the results take into account the severity of the impairments of each competitor. As a result, some riders within an event will have their times ‘factored’ while other riders will not, or will have their time factored in a different calculation. The gold medal goes to the athlete with the fastest time after all the required times have been factored. It is possible for an athlete to break a Games or world record in their event for their specific classification, but to come behind a differently classified athlete in that event after factoring. In such a case, the record is still treated as official within their classification for that event.

Factoring should not be confused with certain events where athletes with a greater impairment are entitled to compete in a race for athletes with a 'lesser' impairment, for example double amputees (such as Oscar Pistorius) in a single leg amputee athletics race alongside runners such as Jonnie Peacock or Richard Browne. In such races, no factoring is taken into account.

Events

Events in each classification, including factored events in joined classifications are set out below.


Classification →

Event
B C T H
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 T1 T2 H1 H2 H3 H4
Road Cycling
Men's Road Race
Women's Road Race
Mixed Road Race
Men's Time Trial
Women's Time Trial
Mixed Time Trial
Mixed relay
Track Cycling
Men's 1000 m time trial
Men's ind. Pursuit
Men's ind. sprint
Women's 500m time trial
Women's 1000m time trial
Women's ind. Pursuit
Mixed team sprint

Qualification

For the Rio 2016 Games, the IPC has set the following quotas.

Athlete quota for Cycling at Rio 2016[5]
Male Female Total
150 80 230*
*tandems counted as single athlete

A National Paralympic Committee (NPC) can enter a maximum of three eligible athletes per Individual medal event. For the Individual Road Race medal events with combined sport classes an NPC can enter a maximum of three eligible athletes per sport class and a maximum of five eligible athletes per Individual Road Race medal event.

Each athlete must enter a minimum of two medal events (Individual or Team). An NPC can enter a maximum of one team per Team medal event.

An NPC can be allocated no more than fourteen male and seven female athlete Individual qualification slots for a maximum quota allocation of twenty-one qualification slots per NPC, with Tandem being counted as one athlete. Exceptions may be granted through the Bipartite Commission Invitation Allocation method.

Qualification system for Cycling at Rio 2016[5]
Method Qualification Qualified Male Qualified Female
2014 UCI Nations Ranking Allocation Highest ranked NPCs on the UCI Para-Cycling male and female Nations Ranking Lists closing 31 December 2014 (1 slot per NPC) 45 25
Europe Men:23 Women:14 Europe
Italy
Spain
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Russia
Great Britain
Netherlands
Switzerland
Belgium
Austria
Ireland
Poland
Slovakia
Ukraine
Romania
Portugal
Finland
Sweden
Israel
Norway
Greece
Hungary
Europe
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Poland
Spain
Russia
Italy
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Ireland
Switzerland
France
Greece
Sweden
Americas Men:10 Women:4 Americas
United States
Canada
Colombia
Brazil
Venezuela
Argentina
Peru
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Costa Rica
Americas
United States
Canada
Argentina
Brazil
Asia Men:6 Women:3 Asia
China
Japan
Malaysia
South Korea
Iran
Philippines
Asia
China
Japan
South Korea
Oceania Men:2 Women:2 Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Africa Men:4 Women:2 Africa[6]
South Africa
Algeria
Africa[6]
South Africa
2016 UCI Combined Nations Allocation Factored rankings system, with qualification to a maxiumum of 13 men and 6 women per NPC.[5] 100 50
Bipartite Commission Allocation Invitations made by the Commission to five athletes of each gender.[5] 5 5

See also

References

  1. Rio2016 confirm Paralympic road race routes.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5
  3. Paralympics GB - Classification of cycling events
  4. 1 2 3 4 , Official Rio 2016 Paralympic Qualification Guide
  5. 1 2 Since not enough African nations fulfilled the minimum criteria to gain a quota place, some African places went unfilled.

External links

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