Amputee sports classification
This included swimming, table tennis and equestrian as they tried to integrate multiple types of disabilities in their sports.
The purpose of sport specific amputee classification is to facilitate fair play between people with different types of disabilities, and enable people to compete on equal terms that they are prevented from doing when competing against able-bodied competitors because of their amputation.
"[1] Their classification system excludes people with "dysmelia not resembling acquired amputations".
[1] This classification was set up by International Sports Organization for the Disabled (ISOD).
[2][3][4] ISOD also governed les autres, but uses a different and separate classification system for non-amputees.
[2] IWAS was created following the merger of ISOD and International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) in 2005.
These sports, open to people with amputees, include athletics, swimming, biathlon, ice sledge hockey, powerlifting, shooting, Nordic skiing, and wheelchair dance.
This includes FITA for archery, UCI for cycling, FEI for para-equestrian, FISA for rowing, ITTF for table tennis, ITF for wheelchair tennis, and the IWBF for wheelchair basketball.
[7] International Sports Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) was created in 1964, and created the first formalized system of classification to facilitate organized sporting competition between people with different types of amputations.
[4] In 1976, the total number of classes was reduced to twelve ahead of the 1976 Paralympic Games.
[4][9] In 1992, ahead of the Barcelona hosted Paralympics, the classification system again was changed with the total number of classes reduced to the nine that currently exist today.
[2] IWAS was created following the merger of ISOD and International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) in 2005.
[3][11] Lawn bowls: LB1 Powerlifting: Weight specific class Sitting volleyball: Open Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB8 Wheelchair basketball: 3 point player, 3.5 point player Wheelchair fencing: 3 Amputee football: Field player Lawn bowls: LB2 Sitting volleyball: Open Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB8, TPB9 Wheelchair basketball: 4 point player Cerebral palsy: CP3 Lawn bowls: LB1, LB2 Powerlifting: Weight specific class Sitting volleyball: Open Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB8, TPB9 Cerebral palsy: CP4 Wheelchair basketball: 4 point player, 4.5 point player [11][12][14][15][16][17][18] Amputee football: Field player Lawn bowls: LB2 Rowing: LTA Sitting volleyball: Open Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB8, TPB9 Wheelchair basketball: 4 point player, 4.5 point player Sitzball: Open Amputee football: Goalkeeper Lawn bowls: LB3 Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB10 Sitzball: Open Amputee football: Goalkeeper Badminton: STU5 Lawn bowls: LB3 Rowing: LTA Sitzball: Open Ten-pin bowling: TPB10
The sport takes into account the length of the amputation beyond just above or below the knee when assigning a player to a class.
Because of the potential for balance issues related to having an amputation, during weight training, amputees are encouraged to use a spotter when lifting more than 15 pounds (6.8 kg).
[23] Lower limb amputations affect a person's energy cost for being mobile.
To keep their oxygen consumption rate similar to people without lower limb amputations, they need to walk more slowly.
[23] Lower limb amputees with longer shanks can walk further, expend less energy while walking and have increased strength in their thighs compared to lower limb amputees with shorter shanks.
This is because of a perception and some research that supports the idea that in some events, such as 200 meter and 400 meter track events, double below the knee amputee prostheses give the runner a competitive advantage over single below the knee amputees.
[4][7] The classification system takes several things into account when putting people into this class.
[27] Sometimes the health examination may not be done on site because the nature of the amputation could cause alterations to the body which are not physically visible.
In the case of athletics and lower limb amputees, they are assessed based on their functional ability.
[7][9][29] For wheelchair basketball, part of the classification process involves observing a player during practice or training.
