Blog #7: Fairness in Sports

When it comes to the discussion of whether or not all athletes with any type of disability should be allowed to be classified for every sport it is something that receives mixed reviews. All athletes should be able to compete and face challenges when it comes to competing in sports. In my opinion, the safety of whether or not they can compete comes first as well. That is the whole point of competing, being able to face challenges, overcome diversity, and be resilient. Every sport presents challenges that a disabled athlete may not be able to meet. As the International Paralympic Committee states, “Different sports require athletes to perform different activities, such as: sprinting, propelling a wheelchair, rowing and shooting. As sports require different activities, the impact of the impairment on each sport also differs. Therefore, for classification to minimize the impact of impairment on sport performance, classification must be sport specific”(Wheel Power).

In other terms, the classification for disabled athletes differs within the sports that they are competing in. Different requirements must be met to be classified to play the sport. This is hard when it comes to being inclusive to everyone, but this promotes a fair and safe environment while at the same time being competitive. The classification systems are important because they ensure an even playing field while taking safety into account. I believe that for all athletes to compete they need to ensure equal opportunities and to continue to prioritize safety so all athletes can the best of their abilities.

I believe that the Paralympics should be inclusive and allow everyone who has a disability to compete. These athletes already train just as hard as other athletes and don't let a disability get in the way of their goal. I don't think that the Paralympics should include people who don't have disabilities because in a way it defeats the whole purpose. The whole point of the Paralympics is to include and let athletes with disabilities to compete with others at the same level playing field. If non-disabled athletes were to join it could make the Paralympics unsafe. The safety and fairness of these athletes are to come first and should stick to only allowing disabled athletes to compete.

To ensure a fair playing field with different athletes having different disabilities it is important to keep the classification up to date for all athletes. "Classification is the competition structure used in Para sport to create a level playing field. This ensures that the best athlete (most skilled, fit and tactical) wins (not the athlete with the lowest level of impairment). Classification determines who can compete in the sport and groups these athletes based on the impact their impairment has on the key activities of the sport" (International Paralympic Committee). It is important to keep classification up to date and have it because it ensures fairness and that the level of play for athletes competing is equal. As long as this is still around it keeps a fair playing field with all different athletes with disabilities. 

To learn more about classification and gain a better understanding click this LINK 

Sources: 

WheelPower. (n.d.). Classification statement. WheelPower. Retrieved [insert retrieval date], from https://www.wheelpower.org.uk/policies/classification-statement/

International Paralympic Committee. (n.d.). Classification. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved [insert retrieval date], from https://www.paralympic.org/classification