T51 (classification)

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T51 is disability sport classification for athletics. The class includes people with a number of different types of disabilities including spinal cord injuries and cerebral palsy. Similar classifications are T52, T53, T54 and T55. It is for sportspeople with minimal upper body function who use a wheelchair, spinal cord injury class F1 and Les Autres class LAF1.

Contents

People in this class compete in wheelchair racing events.

Definition

Functional mobility range for a T51 classified competitor Wheelchair rugby profile classification C5-6.svg
Functional mobility range for a T51 classified competitor

This classification is for disability athletics. [1] This classification is one of several classifications for athletes with spinal cord injuries. Similar classifications are T52, T53 and T54 [2] Jane Buckley, writing for the Sporting Wheelies, describes the athletes in this classification as: "Wheelchair athlete who has mild weakness in shoulders, limited ability in straightening elbows and wrist function. No finger, trunk or leg function." [1]

The International Paralympic Committee described this classification on their website in July 2016 as follows: "Athletes usually have decreased shoulder muscle power and difficulty straightening the elbows for a pushing action required for wheelchair racing propulsion. There is no muscle power in the trunk. Wheelchair propulsion is achieved with a pulling action using the elbow flexor and wrist extensor muscles". [3] They defined this technically in 2011 as "These athletes will usually have elbow flexion and wrist dorsiflexion muscle power to grade 5, a decrease of shoulder muscle power especially pectoralis major, and triceps muscle power from grade 0-3. Use elbow flexors and wrist dorsiflexors for propulsion. Sit in an upright position with knees under the chin. Have large push rims. Equivalent activity limitation to person with complete cord injury at cord level C5-6." [4]

Performance and rules

Wheelchairs used by this class have three wheels, with a maximum rear height of 70 centimetres (28 in) and maximum front height of 50 centimetres (20 in). Chairs cannot have mirrors or any gears. They are not allowed to have anything protruding from the back of the chair. As opposed to wearing hip numbers, racers in this class wear them on the helmet. Instead of wearing bibs, these numbers are put on the back of the racing chair and the racer. [5]

Starting commands

"On your marks" is used to indicate that the athlete should approach or be at the starting line. "Set" means the athlete should take their final starting position. At this time, the front wheel should be touching the ground behind the starting line. At this stage, no further movement is allowed until the starting gun is fired or a "Go" command is given. [5]

Racing

Because this is a wheelchair class, different rules apply for overtaking with the responsibility lying with the racer coming from behind. They must be completely clear of the front wheel of the racer they are overtaking before cutting in front of them. The racer being overtaken cannot deliberately obstruct or impede the racer doing the overtaking. If a crash occurs within the first 50 meters of a race that is 800 meters or longer, the starting official has the option of recalling the race. In races in the United States, a race official's job for a crash is only to direct other racers around the accident 30 meters ahead of the accident. [5]

In relay events involving this class, each team has two lanes. Racers don't use a baton, but instead transfer via touch of the body in the exchange zone. The incoming racer cannot use their momentum to push and give the ongoing racer any acceleration. The acceleration zone and take-over zone both are 20 meters. [5]

In wheelchair races, the winner and time is determined by when the center of the front axle goes across the finish line. [5]

Events

Relay events available to this class internationally include the 4 x 100 meters and the 4 x 400 meters. Junior relays in the United States include the 4 x 100 meters, the 4 x 400 meters, and the 800 meter medley of 100, 100, 200 and 400 meters. [5]

History

The classification was created by the International Paralympic Committee and has roots in a 2003 attempt to address "the overall objective to support and co-ordinate the ongoing development of accurate, reliable, consistent and credible sport focused classification systems and their implementation." [6]

For the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, the International Paralympic Committee had a zero classification at the Games policy. This policy was put into place in 2014, with the goal of avoiding last minute changes in classes that would negatively impact athlete training preparations. All competitors needed to be internationally classified with their classification status confirmed prior to the Games, with exceptions to this policy being dealt with on a case-by-case basis. [7] In case there was a need for classification or reclassification at the Games despite best efforts otherwise, athletics classification was scheduled for September 4 and September 5 at Olympic Stadium. For sportspeople with physical or intellectual disabilities going through classification or reclassification in Rio, their in competition observation event is their first appearance in competition at the Games. [7]

World records

In the 100m event, the men's world record is held by Toni Piispanen and the women's world record is held by Cassie Mitchell. [8]

Becoming classified

Athletes who wish to compete in para-athletics must first have a classification evaluation. During this, they both undergo a medical assessment and are asked to demonstrate skills in athletics, such as pushing a racing wheelchair and throwing. A determination is then made as to what classification an athlete should compete in. Classifications may be Confirmed or Review status. For athletes who do not have access to a full classification panel, Provisional classification is available; this is a temporary Review classification, considered an indication of class only, and generally used only in lower levels of competition. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheelchair racing</span>

Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, including leg amputees, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy. Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their disability or combinations of disabilities. Like running, it can take place on a track or as a road race. The main competitions take place at the Summer Paralympics which wheelchair racing and athletics has been a part of since 1960. Competitors compete in specialized wheelchairs which allow the athletes to reach speeds of 30 km/h (18.6 mph) or more. It is one of the most prominent forms of Paralympic athletics.

David Holding is a British wheelchair athlete. Holding was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that affects the spinal cord, and has been in a wheelchair since childhood. An accountant by training, he competes as an amateur athlete in wheelchair races of all distances. He has won a number of races, but is most well known for being a four-time winner of the London Marathon and the former world record holder, and a Paralympic Games gold medal winner in the 100 meter wheelchair race.

S3, SB2, SM3 are para-swimming classifications used for categorising swimmers based on their level of disability. People in this class have some arm and hand function, but no use of their trunk and legs. They have severe disabilities in all their limbs. Swimmers in this class have a variety of different disabilities including quadriplegia from spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and multiple amputations.

S2, SB1, SM2 are para-swimming classifications used for categorizing swimmers based on their level of disability. People in this class have limited use of their arms, and no or extremely limited use of their hands, legs and trunk. Swimmers in this class have a variety of different disabilities including cerebral palsy and amputations.

S1, SB1, SM1 are para-swimming classifications used for categorising swimmers based on their level of disability. The classifications cover athletes with "very severe coordination problems in four limbs or have no use of their legs, trunk, hands and minimal use of their shoulders only". Swimmers in this class have a variety of different disabilities including cerebral palsy.

T32 is disability sport classification for track events in disability athletics. This is a wheelchair racing class. The classification is one of three classes of wheelchair racing for people with athetosis, ataxia or hypertonia. The number of events available to people in this class has decreased since the 1980s, with no T32 events at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. While undergoing classification, T32 competitors both undergo a bench test of muscle coordination and demonstrate their skills in athletics.

T52 is disability sport classification for disability athletics. People in this class have good shoulder and upper body control, but lack fine motor skills in their arms and hands. They have no or limited trunk and leg function. The class includes people with a number of different types of disabilities including spinal cord injuries. Similar classifications are T51, T53 and T54.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T54 (classification)</span> Para-athletics classification

T54 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics in the track and jump events. The class includes people with spinal cord injuries who compete using a wheelchair in track events. They have paraplegia, but have normal hand and arm function, normal or limited trunk function, and no leg function. This class includes CP-ISRA classes CP3 and CP4, and some athletes in ISOD classes A1, A2 and A3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T53 (classification)</span> Para-athletics classification

T53 is disability sport classification for disability athletics. The class includes people with a number of different types of disabilities including spinal cord injuries. People in this class have full use of their arms but have no or limited trunk function. Similar classifications are T51, T52, and T54. People in this class have a functional upper limbs, but limited trunk usage and limited lower limb functionality. During classification, they both undergo a bench test of muscle strength and demonstrate their skills in athletics. People in this class include Tanni Grey-Thompson (GBR), Samantha Kinghorn (GBR), Angie Ballard (AUS) and Richard Colman (AUS).

Para-athletics classification is a system to determine which athletes with disabilities may compete against each other in para-athletics events. Classification is intended to group together athletes with similar levels of physical ability to allow fair competition. Classification was created and is managed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which is regularly published via its IPC Athletics Classification Handbook. People with physical, vision and intellectual disabilities are eligible to compete in this sport at the Summer Paralympics. The classification for this sport was created during the 1940s and for much of its early history was a medical condition based classification system. The classification system has subsequently become a functional mobility based one, and is moving towards an evidence-based classification system.

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F1, also T1 and SP1, is a wheelchair sport classification that corresponds to the neurological level C6. Historically, it was known as 1A Complete. People in this class have no sitting balance, and are tetraplegics. They may be able to perform limited actions with one hand. They lack sitting balance, and have limited head control and respiratory endurance. The process for classification into this class has a medical and functional classification process. This process is often sport specific.

F2, also T2 and SP2, is a wheelchair sport classification that corresponds to the neurological level C7. Historically, it was known as 1B Complete, 1A Incomplete. People in this class are often tetraplegics. Their impairment effects the use of their hands and lower arm, and they can use a wheelchair using their own power.

F3, also T3 and SP3, is a wheelchair sport classification that corresponds to the neurological level C8. Historically, it was known as 1C Complete, and 1B Incomplete. F3 sportspeople have functional issues related to the muscles in their throwing arm, though they have enough control over their fingers to grip a throwing implement normally. They have no functional trunk control.

F6, also SP6, is a wheelchair sport classification that corresponds to the neurological level L2 - L5. Historically, this class has been known as Lower 4, Upper 5. People in this class have good sitting balance, and good forward and backward movement of their trunk. They have some use of their thighs and can press their knees together.

F8, also SP8, is a standing wheelchair sport classification open to people with spinal cord injuries, with inclusion based on a functional classification on a points system for lower limb functionality. Sportspeople in this class need to have less than 70 points. The class has largely been used in Australia and the United States. F8 has largely been eliminated because of a perceived lack of need internationally for a standing wheelchair class. Sports this class participates in include athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball. In athletics, participation is mostly in field events.

Wheelchair sport classification is a system designed to allow fair competition between people of different disabilities, and minimize the impact of a person's specific disability on the outcome of a competition. Wheelchair sports is associated with spinal cord injuries, and includes a number of different types of disabilities including paraplegia, quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome and spina bifida. The disability must meet minimal body function impairment requirements. Wheelchair sport and sport for people with spinal cord injuries is often based on the location of lesions on the spinal cord and their association with physical disability and functionality.

The Men's 400m athletics events for the 2016 Summer Paralympics take place at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange from September 8 to September 16, 2016. A total of 15 events were contested over this distance for 19 different classifications.

The Women's 400m athletics events for the 2016 Summer Paralympics take place at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange from 8 September to 17 September 2016. A total of 12 events were contested over this distance for 15 different classifications.

References

  1. 1 2 Buckley, Jane (2011). "Understanding Classification: A Guide to the Classification Systems used in Paralympic Sports". Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Summer Sports » Athletics". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "IPC Athletics Classification & Categories". www.paralympic.org. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  4. ↑ Tweedy, Sean (16 July 2010). "Research Report - IPC Athletics Classification Project for Physical Impairments" (PDF). Queensland, Australia: International Paralympic Committee. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PARALYMPIC TRACK & FIELD: Officials Training" (PDF). USOC. United States Olympic Committee. December 11, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Paralympic Classification Today". International Paralympic Committee. 22 April 2010. p. 3.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. 1 2 "Rio 2016 Classification Guide" (PDF). International Paralympic Committee. March 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  8. ↑ "IPC Athletics World Records". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "CLASSIFICATION Information for Athletes" (PDF). Sydney Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
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