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.