Rio 2016: Classification row is another blow to Paralympics
Team GB sprinter quits Games in protest amid accusations of 'intentional misrepresentation' of disabilities in some sports
The Paralympics begin in Rio this week, but the opening ceremony could be overshadowed by claims that some athletes have been misrepresenting their disabilities in order to improve their medal chances.
Over the weekend it emerged that sprinter Bethany Woodward had quit Team GB on the eve of the Games and given up her funding in order to speak out about the issue.
Woodward told the Sunday Times that "she no longer believed in Team GB because more able-bodied athletes were being put into the same categories as more seriously disabled athletes".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 23-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and won silver in the 200m at London 2012, said: "I represented my country for a long time but if I can't compete like I used to compete, because they've brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability, what's the point?"
There have been concerns about incorrect classifications within UK Athletics for two years, reports The Guardian.
"Participants in Paralympic events are grouped into categories according to the degree of their disability so that competitions are fair, but concerns across all Paralympic sports about incorrect categorisation have been increasing globally as the sport has developed," it explains.
The International Paralympic Committee has denied the claims. "All athletes who take part in international competition have all been classified internationally by an independent panel and we are confident and happy they are in the correct class to compete," it said.
However, the Times reports that the IPC has recently been looking into 16 allegations of "intentional misrepresentation" in swimming. "In particular, there are suspicions of a widespread practice involving competitors swimming slower times during their classification process than they will later record in competition, in the hope that they will be categorised with more-disabled swimmers," says the paper.
"While the spectre of doping hung over showpiece events at the Olympics, leading athletes to question whether their rivals were clean and spectators to wonder whether they could believe what they were watching, the classification controversy is now threatening the integrity of the Paralympic Games."
The controversy is the latest blow to the Paralympics, which have been hit by cutbacks after the organisers were forced to divert funds to the Olympics. The Paralympics have also suffered poor ticket sales and a political row over the exclusion of the Russian team because of the country's state-sponsored doping programme.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 inexcusably funny cartoons about Hunter Biden's pardon
Cartoons Artists take on nomination qualification, absolute turkey, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What Donald Trump owes the Christian Right
The Explainer Conservative Christians played an important role in Trump’s re-election, and he has promised them great political influence
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Paralympics: can Team USA turn things around for Los Angeles 2028?
Today's Big Question Beijing and London offer model for how hosting can lead to medal success as China maintains dominance
By The Week UK Published
-
Britain’s greatest Paralympian: cyclist Sarah Storey
Why Everyone’s Talking About Her achievements are ‘off-the-scale extraordinary’
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Timeline: a history of the Paralympics
feature Starting this week in Tokyo, the Paralympic Games has its origins in post-war Britain
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games guide: opening ceremony, sports, venues and UK TV details
In Depth 4,350 athletes will compete across 22 sports in Japan’s capital city
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games guide: opening ceremony, sports, venues and UK TV details
In Depth 4,350 athletes will compete across 22 sports in Japan’s capital city
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Sport shorts: dates confirmed for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2021
Daily Briefing Ten things from the world of sport on Monday 30 March
By The Week Staff Published
-
Today’s back pages: Olympic flame will continue to burn in Tokyo, football’s transfer window of opportunity, Kane on the mend
Daily Briefing A round-up of the sport headlines from UK newspapers on 25 March
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘The only decision we can support’: reactions to the postponement of Tokyo 2020
In Depth Olympic and Paralympic Games will now take place no later than summer 2021
By The Week Staff Published