A8 (classification)

People in this class have one arm amputated below the elbow, but through or above the wrist joint.

Their amputations impact their sport performance, including being more prone to overuse injuries.

The nature of a person's amputations in this class can effect their physiology and sports performance.

Common problems for intact upper limbs for people in this class include rotator cuffs tearing, shoulder impingement, epicondylitis and peripheral nerve entrapment.

[1][10] IWAS was created following the merger of ISOD and International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) in 2005.

Subsequently, IWAS became the classification governing body for some amputee sports.

[13] The missing arm weight changes their running form by creating differences in rotation between hip and shoulder.

[19] Paralympic S9 swimmers in this class can get water entry distance off the block comparable to Olympic athletes.

[19] Because their legs are their greatest strength, they modify their entry into the water to take advantage of this.

[20] Another sport open to people in this class is sitzball, the precursor to sitting volleyball.

In 1991, the first internationally accepted adaptive rowing classification system was established and put into use.

[2][23] The classification system takes several things into account when putting people into this class.

[13] Sometimes the health examination may not be done on site because the nature of the amputation could cause not physically visible alterations to the body.