Paralympic athletics

Kenny van Weeghel in his racing chair at the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships

Paralympic athletics is a disabled sport practiced by athletes with a physical disability have competed at separate international events since 1952. It is governed by IPC Athletics, and is one of the sports at the Summer Paralympic Games since 1960.^[1][2]

Classification

Timothée Adolphe and his sighted guide Cédric Felip

Competiors at elite level competitions, are classified by disability, to arrange athletes with a similar disability in the same event. A classified T12 athlete for example, is a track athlete with a visual impairment.

• F = Field athletes
• T = Track athletes
• 11–13 – Visual impairment. Compete with a sighted guide.
• 20 – Intellectual disability
• 31–38 – Cerebral palsy
• 41–46 – Amputation, and others (including athletes with dwarfism)
• 51–58 – Wheelchair

In wheelchair racing athletes compete in lightweight racing chairs. Most major marathons have wheelchair divisions and the elite racers consistently beat the runners on foot.

See also

• Athletics (sport)
• Athletics at the Summer Paralympics
• IPC Athletics World Championships

References

1. Para- Athletics – History, Athletics Canada
2. About the Sport, IPC Athletics

External links

• Paralympic athletics at IPC web site
• Media related to Paralympic athletics at Wikimedia Commons