CLASSIFICATION

 

 

Justification:

 

Efforts are made within the sport of wheelchair racing to level the playing field for athletes who compete with different disabilities. Able-bodied competitive sports also match the athlete to the sport events that best suit their body type, muscular make up, and cardiovascular efficiencies to maximize their competitive ability.  In boxing, no bout would be allowed to take place between a flyweight and a super heavyweight.  Similarly, in wheelchair racing an athlete with quadriplegia would not be expected to race another competitor with paraplegia or a below the knee amputation.  

 

The inequalities in functional abilities between athletes with differing disabilities are great enough to warrant classification in an effort to improve fairness in competition.  Many factors such as paralysis, altered autonomic nervous system function, increased tone, or amputation will affect an athlete’s achievable level of performance.  However, this in no way reduces the competitiveness of the sport of wheelchair racing.  An analogy may be made in the auto sport world to Formula 1 and Stock Car racing:  Certain restrictions limit the speed and handling of Stock Cars in comparison to Formula 1 machines, but the competition is no less fierce.  And the NASCAR drivers are no less talented at what they do than the top Formula 1 drivers.

 

 

The System:

 

Internationally, in wheelchair athletics a four-category system is used to classify athletes.  These classes are T51, T52, T53, and T54.  The ‘T’ represents Track which includes road races; the ‘5’ is a code for a sport using wheelchairs.  And the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 define the classes (within which) athletes are slotted into depending on their differing levels of movement potential.  This system was first implemented in the early 1990s following the Seoul Paralympics and was developed by the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF).  This system was used to train the British Columbia Athletics Classifiers and is used as their reference manual.  (Athletes within the WC Race Series are classified provincially using this system).  It provides guidelines focusing on movement potential by which athletes can be placed in the class that best suits their physical abilities.  

 

The classification process involves a physical assessment of strength, functional movements, structural changes, and balance.  The athlete is then given a temporary class to use while they compete in a minimum of two events (track or road races) after which the athlete may be officially classified.  To complete the classification, the athlete is assessed functionally in the race chair with specific attention on their seating and pushing technique. The athlete will then be assigned a class to compete in for all future events.  

 

It should be noted that athletes who attend international events such as the World Championships or Paralympic Games may also be classified the first time they attend an international event of this calibre.  They are classified by a panel of International Classifiers who use the same guidelines outlined by the ISMWSF as our BC Classifiers use.  Once an athlete has been classified internationally, this is the athlete’s class for all future events at any level.  

 

The Wheelchair Race Series is primarily a developmental series of races designed to introduce and encourage athletes in the sport of wheelchair racing.  For this reason the Classifiers or Coach may also issue a temporary class to facilitate the athletes’ initiation into the sport with the knowledge that this class may be changed once the athlete is officially classified.  Classification can sometimes be a contentious issue as there are often people who do not fit easily into the guidelines of one of the four classes.

 

 

Explanation of Classes:

 

The following is a brief and very general description of the four classes.  This system was first developed using complete spinal cord injury as the primary disability of the athletes who competed in wheelchair racing.  This is why it is often difficult to classify all individuals who now participate in this sport as many of them have a disability other than a complete spinal cord injury i.e. Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida, or an amputation or an incomplete spinal cord injury. For example, an athlete with an incomplete spinal cord injury often has some degree of control of some muscles below their injury level.  This can make categorizing the athlete into a particular class more complicated, as the guidelines do not recognize these exceptions of physical ability.

 

Class T51 An athlete with significant impairment of all four limbs and trunk; often someone with quadriplegia without the ability to straighten their elbows against gravity (no functional triceps) and no hand function.  They often have strong biceps and may have some wrist movement into extension.  This athlete does not have active abdominal muscles.  

 

Class T52 An athlete with significant impairment of all four limbs and trunk; often someone with quadriplegia that retains strong shoulder and upper arm muscles including the triceps to give power to their push.  This athlete may also have wrist movement and some finger movement but does not have full hand function.  This athlete does not have active abdominal muscles but may have some active chest muscles.  

 

Class T53 An athlete with significant impairment to the lower limbs and trunk; often someone with paraplegia without the use of their abdominal muscles and most of their back extensor muscles.  This athlete has full or nearly full hand function.  

 

Class T54 This class is considered the ‘Open Class.’  A typical athlete will have impairment of their lower limbs.  They have full hand function and active use of their abdominal muscles and their back extensor muscles.  This gives the athlete the ability to rotate through their trunk and sit up off of their knees without the use of their hands.  Able-bodied athletes also compete in this class (in Canada and some international events), as do athletes with lower limb amputations.  

 

Below is a copy of the card the athlete receives once they have been officially classified.  The back of the card has the signatures of the panel of classifiers (usually a panel of three). Classifiers may be contacted through BC Wheelchair Sports at 604-333-3520. 

 

 

BC WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION

ATHLETICS CLASSIFICATION CARD

 

Athlete Name: 

Date of Birth:  

Male/Female:

Sport: 

Class: 

 

Reclassification Date: BC Wheelchair Sports Association

3820 Cessna Drive, Richmond, BC  V7B 0A2

p. 604 333-3520, 1 877 737-3090
f.  604 333-3450

      www.bcwheelchairsports.com

Classifier Signature: Classifier Signature: Classifier Signature:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

athlete photo here