Athletics
Athletics is represented at the Paralympic Games. The sport is open to people with various types of physical impairments, including spinal cord injuries (paraplegic and quadriplegics), amputees, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, orthopaedic injuries, arthritis, muscular dystrophy and other disability groups to compete together.
Thanks to its classification system, athletes with similar disabilities compete together.
Able-bodied people can only compete at a recreational level.
Please view the menu on the left, or click on the links below to learn more.
What assistance are you looking for?
1. Athletics for Persons with Disabilities
2. Categories in Adaptive Athletics
3. Classifications in Athletics
4. Athletics Competitive Classes
5. Equipment and Clothing
1. Athletics For Persons with Disabilities
In South Africa, Athletics for persons with mobility impairments is governed by SASAPD who has established itself as the leading Sport Federation for people living with disabilities in South Africa. Paralympic Athletics is a sport practiced by athletes with a physical disability or Mobility Impairment. It is governed by IPC Athletics, and is one of the sports at the Summer Paralympic Games since 1960.
At the national level, there are a wide range of organizations that take responsibility for Paralympic sport, including National Paralympic Committees, which are members of the IPC, and many others. Other international organizations that include Athletics and represent persons with disabilities, are the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS), the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS) and the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CP-ISRA). Each of these federations govern sports that are specific to certain disability groups, but they all offer various disciplines associated with Athletics.
2. Categories in Adaptive Athletics
Athletes who participate in Paralympic sports are grouped into ten major categories, based on their type of disability. There are eight different types of categories for persons with physical or mobility impairments, these include:
International Paralympic Committee
Globally, the International Paralympic Committee is recognized as the leading organization, with direct governance of nine sports, and responsibility over the Paralympic Games and other multi-sport, multi-disability events. Other international organizations, notably the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) govern some sports that are specific to certain disability groups.
South Africa has & is regularly represented in the Paralympic Games in Athletics which has a wide variety of disciplines. Thanks to its classification system, athletes with similar disabilities compete together.
Competitors 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
– 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.
Click Here to learn more about Wheelchair Classification Systems
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Paralympics since the first games in 1960. Men and women from all disability groups compete in the sport. Some athletes use wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs.
4. Athletics Competitive Classes
The roles of classification are to determine eligibility to compete for athletes with disability and to group athletes correctly for competition purposes.
Athletes are grouped by reference to functional ability, resulting from their impairment.
CLASS
CONDITIONS
T/F33
Moderate quadriplegia. Fair functional strength and moderate problems in upper extremities and torso. Wheelchair for daily activities but may be ambulant with assistive devices.
T/F34
Moderate to severe problems in lower limbs, good functional strength and minimal control problems in upper limbs and torso. Wheelchair for daily activities but may be ambulant with assistive devices
T/F35
Good functional strength and minimal control problems in upper limbs. No wheelchair. May or may not use assistive devices.
T/F36
Greater upper limb involvement, less coordination / balance problems when running or throwing. Ambulates without walking devices.
T/F37
Moderate to minimal hemiplegia (i.e. one half of the body affected – arm and leg on same side). Good functional ability in non affected side. Walks / runs without assistive devices, but with a limp.
T/F38
Minimal hemiplegia. May have minimal coordination problems, good balance. Runs and jumps freely
T/F40
Led Autres- French for “The Others”- disabilities that do not fall into any specific categories, for example Dwarfism. Height limit, Males 145cm, Females 140cm.
T/F42
Single leg, above or through knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Minimal disability.
T/F43
Double leg, below knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Normal function in throwing arm.
T/F44
Single leg below knee amputation. Combined lower plus upper limb amputations. Ambulant with moderately reduced function in one or both lower limbs.
T/F45
Double arm above elbow. Double arm below elbow
T/F46
Single arm, above elbow. Single arm, below elbow. Normal function in both lower limbs. Other impairments in trunk. Upper limb function in throwing.
T/F52
Damage to spinal cord in the higher parts of the back. Substantially impaired or no trunk function; no leg function. Pushing power comes from elbow extensions.
T/F53
Impaired trunk movements, some with no spinal control. Some interference in their ability to perform long and forceful strokes and the ability to rapidly grasp and release the pushing rim of the wheel.
T/F54
Have normal or nearly normal upper limb function. May have no upper trunk movements and when pushing, the trunk is usually lying on the legs. Those with almost normal trunk function are able to perform long and forceful strokes. Double above the knee amputations.
F52
Limited arm function. Difficulty gripping with non-throwing arm.
Shot – Unable to form a fist and therefore do not usually have finger contact with the shot at the release point. Discus – Have difficulty placing fingers over the edge of the discus. Javelin – Usually grip the Javelin between the index and middle fingers, or between the middle and ring fingers.
F53
Have nearly normal grip with non-throwing arm.
SHOT
Usually a good fist can be made. Can spread fingers apart and can ‘grasp’ the shot put when throwing. Discus – Have good finger function to hold the discus and may be able to impart spin on the discus. Are able to spread and close the fingers, but not with normal power. Javelin – Usually grip javelin between the thumb and the index finger. Have ability to hold javelin.
F54
Normal arm function; no trunk or leg function. Shot, Discus and Javelin – Have no sitting balance and usually hold on to part of chair whilst throwing.
F55
Some trunk function; no leg function. Fair to good sitting balance.
F56
Trunk function with some upper leg function. Good balance and movements backwards and forwards.
F57
Usually one ‘good’ leg and one ‘bad’ leg. Good movements backwards and forwards, usually to one side. Can raise from a sitting to a standing position with assistance during the throw.
F58
Seated. Better function than F57 athletes, but not enough to stand to throw. Usually similar impairment in both legs.
Sports, Exercise and Rehabilitation equipment that is used in Athletics and Swimming and for the training for these sports, are essential to ensure that everyone can compete to the best of their ability.
There are a variety of different types of this equipment that can help you to get fit and strong again so that you can enjoy these Sports and be successful at them. This and other Sports, Exercise and Rehabilitation equipment is available to be purchased from various companies in South Africa including Sitwell Technologies, Ability Assist, CE Mobility and be Able Solutions, this includes products such as Sports Wheelchairs, Hand Cycles, Sports Prosthesis as well as Rehabilitation and Exercise Equipment such as Standing Frames, Stationary Hand Bikes, Wrist Weights, Stretch Ropes and Active Hands by Ability Assist.