Athletics and Swimming
Athletics and swimming are accessible to individuals with neurological and intellectual impairments in South Africa.
Participation is available at social, club, and provincial levels, with pathways to elite competition through the Paralympic movement and the Special Olympics, where formal classification systems are used to ensure fair and equitable competition.
At national level, high-performance sport and international representation fall under the oversight of SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee), which works with recognised national federations and is responsible for the awarding of National Protea Colours to athletes who meet the required criteria to represent South Africa at international events.
What assistance are you looking for?
1. International Competition
A. Athletics
i. Pathways to Participation
ii. Paralympic Athletics Classification
iii. Events
iv. Rules
B. Swimming
i. Classification Process
ii. Paralympic Swimming
iii. Competitive Events
iv. Open Water Swimming
1. International Competition
Athletics and swimming in South Africa fall under the high-performance oversight of SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee). SASCOC works in collaboration with recognised national federations and is responsible for the awarding of National Protea Colours to athletes who meet the required criteria to represent South Africa at international level.
While SASCOC oversees elite and international participation, athletics and swimming remain accessible to all individuals who wish to participate, with opportunities available at social, club, and provincial levels across the country.
Athletics
Athletics (track and field) is accessible to individuals with neurological impairments whose condition affects movement, coordination, muscle control, balance, endurance, or motor planning. Neurological impairments may be congenital, acquired, or progressive, and eligibility for competitive athletics is determined by functional impact, not diagnosis alone.
Athletes with neurological impairments can participate at social, club, and provincial level, with pathways into Paralympic athletics for those who meet classification and performance criteria.
Common Neurological Conditions Represented in Athletics:
Neurological conditions commonly seen in athletics include:
– Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
– Epilepsy (where seizure control allows safe participation)
– Multiple Sclerosis
– Parkinson’s Disease
– Acquired Brain Injury or Stroke-related neurological impairment
– Guillain-Barré Syndrome
– Traumatic Brain Injury
Participation is assessed individually, based on how the condition affects functional movement and athletic performance.
Pathways to Participation
Pathway to Participation and Competition
Athletes typically progress through the following stages:
1. Recreational & Club Athletics: Participation at local clubs and inclusive athletics programmes.
2. Provincial Competition: Entry into provincial events through affiliated athletics structures.
3. National Competition: Participation in national championships under Athletics South Africa–aligned programmes.
4. International & Paralympic Pathway: Athletes who meet performance standards and classification requirements may be selected to represent South Africa internationally, under the oversight of SASCOC.
How the Classification Process Work:
To compete at national or international level, athletes must undergo an official classification process, which includes:
– Medical Documentation: Confirmation of a permanent neurological impairment from a qualified medical professional.
– Physical and Functional Assessment: – of coordination, balance, strength, range of motion, and motor control by trained classifiers.
– Technical Assessment in Competition: Observation of the athlete performing in their chosen events to confirm the appropriate class.
– Sport Class Allocation: The athlete is assigned a sport class (e.g. T36, F37) and sport class status.
Paralympic Athletics Classification
In Paralympic athletics, athletes with neurological impairments are classified into sport classes based on how their impairment affects their ability to run, throw, or jump. Classification is not diagnosis-based, but function-based.
Track Events (T Classes)
T31–T38: Athletes with coordination impairments (including neurological conditions affecting muscle control and movement)
T31–T34: Wheelchair racing (more severe coordination impairments)
T35–T38: Ambulatory athletes with coordination impairments
Field Events (F Classes)
F31–F38: Field events for athletes with coordination impairments
Includes throwing and jumping events adapted to functional ability
These classes include athletes with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, brain injury, or other neurological disorders that affect coordination and motor control.
Events
Special Olympics athletics includes a wide variety of track, field, wheelchair, and walking events designed to offer meaningful competition opportunities for athletes of all ability levels. The official rules for Special Olympics athletics are based on international athletics standards, with modifications to ensure safety, fairness, and inclusivity for all participants.
Track Events
Athletes can compete in short, middle, and long distance running events, including distances such as:
25 m, 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, and 10 000 m races
Relays are also part of the programme, such as:
4 × 100 m, 4 × 200 m, and 4 × 400 m relays, including Unified Sports® relay options.
Field Events
Field events give athletes opportunities to showcase jumping and throwing skills, including:
– Long jump and standing long jump
– Shot put
– Mini-javelin
– Softball or tennis ball throw
Some programmes also offer combined events such as pentathlon
Rules
To view the official rule book and detailed event listings, visit the Special Olympics athletics rules page:
https://media.specialolympics.org/resources/sports-essentials/sport-rules/Sports-Essentials-Athletics-Rules-2024.pdf
Swimming is an inclusive sport that is highly beneficial for individuals with neurological impairments, as water provides low-impact support for movement, strength-building, and coordination. Athletes with conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, brain injury, or stroke can participate safely with proper supervision and training. Building Muscle tone regulation, Improved coordination and balance, Cardiovascular fitness, Confidence and independence.
Swimming is available at a Learn-to-swim and rehabilitation level, Club and provincial competition level and Paralympic competition level, if eligibility criteria are met
Athletes with neurological impairments may compete in different Paralympic swimming classifications, depending on how their condition affects movement, coordination, muscle control, or endurance. Classification is determined through a medical and functional assessment, rather than by diagnosis alone.
Classification Process
To compete in Paralympic swimming, athletes undergo a structured classification process:
Medical Documentation:
A medical professional provides evidence of a permanent neurological condition affecting function.
Physical and Functional Assessment:
Trained classifiers evaluate strength, range of motion, coordination, and stroke mechanics on land and in water.
Technical Assessment in Water: Observations are made during swimming to determine how the impairment affects performance in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and medley.
Sport Class Allocation
Athletes receive a sport class (S1–S10, SB1–SB9, SM1–SM10) and a classification status (confirmed, review, or new), which is used for competition entry.
Paralympic Swimming
Paralympic swimming classification ensures fair competition by grouping athletes with similar functional abilities rather than by diagnosis alone.
Neurological impairments are primarily represented in the S1–S10, SB1–SB9, SM1–SM10 classes for physical impairments, depending on the severity and type of functional limitation.
Class Overview
S1–S10 (Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly)
Athletes with neurological impairments that affect strength, coordination, or limb function are assigned a class from S1 (most severe impairment) to S10 (minimal impairment).
SB1–SB9 (Breaststroke)
Breaststroke uses a separate classification due to the stroke’s different physical demands.
SM1–SM10 (Individual Medley)
Classification aligns with the functional ability in multiple strokes.
Athletes are placed into classes according to functional ability, not their medical diagnosis. This allows swimmers with different neurological conditions—such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or stroke—to compete fairly if their functional swimming ability is comparable.
Competitive Events
Neurological impairment swimmers can participate in:
– Sprint events: 50 m, 100 m
– Middle- and long-distance events: 200 m, 400 m
– Relays: 4 × 50 m, 4 × 100 m
– Individual Medley: 100 m, 200 m
– Open Water Events (in some programmes)
Events are modified for safety and inclusivity, and athletes compete against others in the same functional class.
Open water swimming
Special Olympics has a growing number of athletes around the world taking part in open water swimming, a sport in which swimmers race in bodies of water such as lakes, rivers and oceans instead of pools.
Open water swimming debuted at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece as a demonstration sport.
Open water swimming involves swimming in rivers, lakes, seas or the ocean, where deep water, lack of lane markings, waves, currents, wind and other natural elements test the swimmer.