The Paralympics classification system explained

With the Paris 2024 Paralympics well under way, we take a look at how the classification system works in para-sport – and how are athletes’ classifications defined?

Why are there different Paralympic classifications?

The idea behind classifications is to ensure that athletes compete against opponents of similar or equal impairment. Athletes are grouped together into ‘sport classes’ in an effort to create a level playing field.

The International Paralympic Committee says the classification system “has been put in place to minimise the impact of impairments on sport performance and to ensure the success of an athlete is determined by skill, fitness, power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus”.

How are athletes’ classifications defined?

There are 10 broad categories of impairment that a Paralympic athlete can be put into – eight of them are a form of physical impairment, one for visual impairment and one for intellectual impairment.

Within these categories, there are then several sub-categories to increase the level of “fairness”. For example, there are eight sub-categories in athletics for competitors with cerebral palsy, ranging from the most to the least severe.

Classification systems differ by sport and are developed by the federations who govern the sport. Some Paralympic sports are only designed for athletes with one eligible impairment type – such as goalball which is only open to athletes with a vision impairment.

How does the classification system work?

Every athlete competing at the Paralympics will have been officially classified prior to the Games. They are assessed by technical officials known as “classifiers” and allocated a sport class in accordance with the degree and nature of their eligible impairment.

The “classifiers” have been appointed by the international governing body of each particular sport. Classifiers assess the athlete’s impairment and how it impacts on their ability to perform certain functions before assigning them to a particular class.

Classifying athletes is an ongoing process, which takes place at all major events, before and during competition. Thus, a competitor’s classification can change throughout their career as their level of impairment evolves.

Is there a medal for each classification?

Not necessarily. In some cases, athletes from different classifications will compete for the same medal because the sport’s governing body has decided that their particular impairments place them at around the same level of ability.

As the International Paralympic Committee explains: “Since different sports require different abilities, each sport logically requires its own classification system.

“For example, an impairment of the arms affects performance in a running event in athletics to a lesser extent than it affects performance in swimming.”

Is the percentage system always used to determine combined-class events?

No. Sometimes when there is not an event available for a particular classification, athletes are given the option of competing up a class with competitors who are less impaired.

For example, there is no T45 or T46 100m, so athletes in those categories are permitted to compete in the T47 race. For these events there is no percentage scoring system – the fastest run and furthest throw or jump wins.

Classifications in alphabetical order

B1 – No light perception or inability to recognise a shape.
Blind football, goalball and para judo

B2 – Visual acuity not exceeding 1/30th after correction or visual field not exceeding 5°.
Blind football, goalball and para judo

B3 – Visual acuity not exceeding 1/10th after correction or visual field not exceeding 20°.
Blind football, goalball and para judo

BC1 – Athletes with cerebral palsy who are allowed to use their hands or feet to play the ball and have an assistant on court to pass them the ball before they throw.
Boccia

BC2 – Athletes with cerebral palsy who are able to grip and release the ball. They do not have an assistant on court and have to throw the ball on to the court.
Boccia

BC3 – Athletes with cerebral palsy or another severe physical disability, such as paraplegia, who play the ball using a ramp with the help of an assistant. They have the highest level of impairment of all of the boccia classifications.
Boccia

BC4 – Athletes who do not have cerebral palsy but have limitations in strength that impact muscle power, passive range of movement or limb deficiency. They play the ball by hand or foot and are able to throw the ball into play.
Boccia

C1-5 – Athletes with cerebral palsy, amputees and other conditions who can ride a bike.
Para cycling

Category A – Athletes in this category have good balance and recovery, full trunk movement, and impairments that affect their lower limbs.
Wheelchair fencing

Category B – Athletes have an impairment that impacts their sitting balance or fencing arm.
Wheelchair fencing

F51-58 – Athletes who perform seated throws and have an impairment
Para athletics, field events

F61-64 – Athletes who perform standing throws and have lower limb impairments and compete with prosthesis.
Para athletics, field events

Grade I – Athletes have severe impairments affecting all limbs and the trunk.
Para equestrian

Grade II – Athletes have either a severe impairment of the trunk and minimal impairment of the arms or moderate impairment of the trunk, arms and legs.
Para equestrian

Grade III – Athletes have severe impairments in both legs with minimal or no impairment of the trunk or moderate impairment of the arms and legs and trunk.
Para equestrian

Grade IV – Athletes have a severe impairment or deficiency of both arms or a moderate impairment of all four limbs or short stature.
Para equestrian

Grade V – Athletes have vision impairment, complete blindness, a mildly impaired range of movement or muscle strength, or a deficiency of one limb or mild deficiency of two limbs.
Para equestrian

H1-5 – Athletes with a physical impairment impacting the upper and/or lower limbs and competing in a handcycle. H1 has the greatest and H5 the lowest level of impairment.
Para cycling

K43 – Athletes with bilateral amputation below the elbow, or equivalent loss of function in both upper limbs.
Para taekwondo

K44 – Athletes with unilateral arm amputation (or equivalent loss of function), or loss of toes which impact the ability to lift the heel properly.
Para taekwondo

KL1-VL1 – Athletes with no or extremely limited trunk function and no function in the legs.
Paracanoe

KL2-VL2 – Athletes with partial leg and trunk function, able to sit up straight in the kayak but may require a high-backed seat.
Paracanoe

KL3-VL3 – Athletes with full function of their trunk and partial function in the legs, able to sit with the trunk bent forwards in the kayak and use at least one leg.
Paracanoe

Open – Athletes with a lower limb impairment(s)
Wheelchair tennis

Open Class (recurve bows) – Archers shoot from a standing position at a distance of 70m at a 122cm target made up of 10 concentric circles scoring from 10 points down to one point from the centre outwards.
Para archery

Open Class (compound bows) – For archers with little strength in the arms. Archers shoot from a sitting position at a distance of 50m at an 80cm five-ring target made up of the 10-6 point bands.
Para archery

PR1 – Single sculls (for individual men and women) – reserved for rowers without trunk or leg function using two oars.
Para rowing

PR2 – Double sculls (mixed) – a team of two rowers (male and female) each of whom has two oars. Reserved for rowers who can only use their upper body to row and their seat is fixed so their legs remain straight.
Para rowing

PR3 – Coxed four (mixed) – a team of four rowers (two women and two men) and a coxswain, with each rower using one oar. Category for people using their arms, trunk, and legs, with a maximum of two visually impaired people in the boat.
Para rowing

PTWC 1-2 – Athletes with limitations in lower and upper limbs, using a handcycle for the cycling segment and a racing chair for the running segment. PTWC1 and PTWC2 compete in combined events, with an interval start system per sport class to ensure a level playing field.
Para triathlon

PTS 2-5 – Athletes with limitations in lower and/or upper limbs who do not require a handcycle for the cycling segment or a racing chair for the running segment. Assistive devices such as prosthetic legs and/or bike modifications are allowed.
Para triathlon

PTVI 1-3 – Athletes with vision impairment. Interval starts ensure a level playing field between partially sighted triathletes and blind triathletes competing with a guide.
Para triathlon

Quad – Athletes with both upper and lower limb impairments.
Wheelchair tennis

S1-10 – Athletes with a physical impairment who race in butterfly, backstroke and front crawl events. The greater the number, the less severe the athlete’s limitation.
Para swimming

SM1-10 – Athletes with physical impairments that affect their upper and/or lower limbs and trunk.
Para swimming

S / SB / SM11-13 – Athletes with a vision impairment. S11 swimmers have extremely low visual acuity and compete in blacked-out goggles to ensure fair competition, while S13 athletes have the least severe vision impairment. ‘SB’ refers to breaststroke, while ‘SM’ refers to multi-swimming events.
Para swimming

S / SB / SM14 – Athletes have an intellectual impairment. These swimmers have difficulties with regards to pattern recognition, sequencing and memory, or having a slower reaction time. ‘SB’ refers to breaststroke, while ‘SM’ refers to multi-swimming events.
Para swimming

SH1 – Athletes able to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair). SH1 athletes may use a pistol or a rifle.
Para shooting

SH2 – Athletes are unable to hold their rifle independently, so use a stand, but can aim by themselves and control the rifle when they shoot. Certain athletes may have an assistant to reload their gun.
Para shooting

SH6 – Athletes with short stature and standing athletes.
Para badminton

SL3 – Athletes competing standing with a lower limb impairment and balance problems walking or running
Para badminton

SL4 – Athletes competing standing with less severe impairment than in SL3. Athletes demonstrate lower limb impairment and minor balance problems walking or running.
Para badminton

SU5 – Athletes in this class have impairment of the upper limbs. The impairment could be on the playing or non-playing hand.
Para badminton

T1-2 – For athletes with cerebral palsy, neurological conditions or other athletes who are unable to ride a bike.
Para cycling

T11-13 – Athletes with a vision impairment. The ‘T’ in the classification stands for “track”, and the number indicates the level of impairment.
Para athletics, track events 

T20 – Athletes with an intellectual impairment.
Para athletics, track events 

T31-38 – Athletes with co-ordination impairments.
Para athletics, track events 

T40-47 – Athletes with short stature, upper limb competing with prosthesis or equivalent, lower limb competing with prosthesis or equivalent
Para athletics, track events 

T51-54 – Athletes who compete in wheelchair races. Athletes in this class have disabilities such as limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power, or impaired passive range of movement.
Para athletics, track events 

TT1-5 – Wheelchair athletes. TT1 players have a high degree in the trunk and legs and to a moderate level in the shoulders and arms, while TT5 players have leg movement affected to a high degree, or the absence of limbs.
Para table tennis

TT6-10 – For standing athletes with coordination moderately affected in the arms and legs and potentially also the body, or the absence of limbs.
Para table tennis

TT11 – For athletes with intellectual impairments.
Para table tennis

VI – For athletes who are blind or vision impaired who compete with a sighted pilot on a tandem bike.
Para cycling

KL1-VL1 – Athletes with no or extremely limited trunk function and no function in the legs.
Paracanoe

KL2-VL2 – Athletes with partial leg and trunk function, able to sit up straight in the kayak but may require a high-backed seat.
Paracanoe

KL3-VL3 – Athletes with full function of their trunk and partial function in the legs, able to sit with the trunk bent forwards in the kayak and use at least one leg.
Paracanoe

VS1-2 – Players have a physical impairment in one or several upper or lower limbs. VS2 athletes with a less severe impairment.
Sitting volleyball

W1 – quadriplegic archers with an impairment in the lower limbs, trunk and one arm shoot from 50m at a 10-band 80cm target. Archers use compound bows limited to 45lbs in draw weight and without magnifying sights.
Para archery

WH1 – Athletes using a wheelchair with severely impaired leg and trunk function.
Para badminton

WH2 – Athletes using a wheelchair with minor impairments to leg and trunk function.
Para badminton

Information sourced from here: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/paralympic-classification

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