Welcome to one of the most exciting and chronically underrated international sporting events of the 21st century: the International Paralympic Games. The 2018 Winter Paralympics will be held from Mar 8, 2018 – Mar 18, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
This Paralympic games, originating in 1948 as a competition for wheelchair-using war veterans today have over 500 medal events, and host thousands of athletes from all over the world [1]. Today, the Paralympic Games occur in the same location as the Olympics, and are scheduled after the main events. To many, this may seem like an afterthought, but in reality is an incredible showcase of human diversity, athletic prowess, and the merits of inclusionary sport.
Meet Your Athletes
Who competes in the Paralympics? According to the official guidelines of the International Paralympic Committee, there are three major categories: visual, intellectual, and physical disabilities. The latter category is also broken down into 8 different subtypes, reflecting muscle function, limb loss/deficiency, and abnormalities in stature [1,2]. It should also be noted that the category of intellectual disability has strict limits about the age and nature of diagnosis. Some readers may be more familiar with the Special Olympics World Games, which are open to a broader range of participants [3].
Up until the 1980s, eligibility for the Paralympics was determined purely by medical diagnosis, i.e. the reasons for a certain disability. Using these guidelines, a person who lost use of their arms due to a neurodegenerative disorder would not be able to compete with another individual whose arms were amputated [1]. However, today most sports include athletes based on ability, i.e. the degree to which an individual can perform an activity and compete fairly with others. The exception to these rules are sports for the visually impaired, where more rigid definitions and thresholds for vision loss are employed [1,2].PARTICIPATION IS BASED ON ABILITY
Let’s Play
Within most sports in the Paralympics, there are several sub-categories, reflecting different levels of ability. For example, table tennis has two major categories: players who compete using a wheelchair vs. standing. Within these two major categories, there are also subgroups, reflecting impairment in the playing arm, trunk stability, and other physical factor which can affect game outcome [4]. There is also a special class for athletes with an intellectual disability. These classes and categories differ from sport to sport, reflecting the demands of each discipline.
In addition, some sports in the Paralympics use ‘equalizing’ techniques to even the playing field for everyone involved. For example, in wheelchair rugby, individual players are given a score based on their abilities (use and dexterity of limbs, core stability, etc.). These scores are added up, and a team may not have players with more than a cumulative number of points on the field at any time [1]. On the other hand, goalball, a ball-throwing team sport for the visually impaired, requires that all players wear eye coverings to completely block vision. Thus, participants who are totally blind are still on the same level as those with milder visual impairments.
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| Paralympics, via Wikimedia Commons |
Something for Everyone (Maybe Even You?)
The Paralympics thus include very diverse athletes, and a broad range of sporting opportunities. The most famous sports are generally those closest to events in the regular Olympics. For example, wheelchair basketball or Paralympic triathlon are close to Olympic contemporaries, with the addition of mobility-assisting devices such as wheelchairs or prosthetic devices. Other examples include wheelchair fencing, para-snowboarding, or para-equestrian events. However, some Paralympic sports are unique. These include goalball (see above) and boccia, a sport similar to boules or curling.
Interestingly, there is also significant participation of non-disabled athletes at the Paralympics. Indeed, these assistants/guides are an integral part of the team, and receive medals along with their disabled teammates. In boccia, for example, teammates can also help severely disabled athletes prepare for ball throws. Sighted athletes also play a major role in events for visually impaired participants, by running alongside them in track events, or steering a tandem bicycle during cycling races.
In recent years, unfortunately, the Paralympics have not been without controversy: as with other Olympic sports, there have been allegations of doping, along with accusations of ‘understating’ athletes’ level of disability [5]. But a lot of ongoing issues within (and at the fringes of) the Paralympics touch on much more troubling questions. How can the Paralympics be opened up to better funding, recognition, and respect? Should Paralympic athletes be allowed to compete directly against regularly-abled ones (think Oscar Pistorious)? It’s difficult to say exactly where these discussions will lead... but do tune in Mar 8, 2018 – Mar 18, 2018, and see what all the excitement is about.
[1] http://bit.ly/1MD7zs1
[2] http://bit.ly/1SURPNP
[3] http://bit.ly/1XEy8xF
[4] http://bit.ly/23StO1x
[5] http://bit.ly/26az4jh
by Constance Holman, PhD Student AG Schmitz
this article originally appeared June 2016 in Volume 09 Issue 2 "The Sporty Brain"
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