Classification of para-athletes determines the exact range of abilities of an individual athlete and thus decides what event they can enter. This zero classification policy means that only athletes with a classification status of confirmed or with a review date after the Rio Paralympic Games, will be allowed to compete in Rio.

For para-rowers official classification happens at FISA sanctioned para-rowing events like the World Rowing Championships and, for 2015, World Rowing Cup II and Gavirate para-rowing regatta. Athletes requiring classification are evaluated before competition begins. Some athletes will be confirmed that they are in their correct boat class, while others will require a follow-up evaluation, usually depending on the likelihood of a change in their ability over time. In these instances, classifiers may decide that an athlete must be evaluated again at the next event or after a specific ‘review date.’

This is where the IPC is drawing a line in the lead up to Rio 2016. “In the past, [the IPC] would allow athletes with a sport class status of ‘review at next event’ to compete and be classified at the Games,” says Judy Morrison of FISA’s Para-rowing Commission. This could mean that athletes needing to be reviewed, “would arrive planning to compete in one sport class, but then be issued a different sport class.” Morrison points out that this has not been an issue for rowing, where there were no sport class adjustments at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Zero Classification is not a new Paralympic policy, but is new for summer sports. It was introduced prior to the Sochi 2014 winter Paralympic Games and it decreased the number of evaluations at the Games to a single athlete. Barring exceptional circumstance, the IPC is aiming to reduce this number to zero for Rio 2016.

So is there potential for para-rowers to be barred from the Paralympic Games due to lack of classification in advance? “This won’t really occur,” says Morrison, who points out that, “all athletes must be classified to be eligible to compete in the Games.

In terms of classification each sport has its own rules about what abilities are permitted to ensure fair competition. Some sports, such as para-rowing, have multiple “sport classes” for different abilities. The three para-rowing sport classes are:

LTA: Functional use of Legs, Trunk and Arms and can use sliding seat to move boat; LTA-PD designates a Physical Disability, while LTA-VI indicates a Visual Impairment.
TA: Functional use of Trunk and Arms, but cannot use sliding seat to move boat.
AS: Functional use of Arms and/or Shoulders, but minimal or no trunk function.

These classes are spread across five events at the World Championships: LTA mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+), LTA mixed double sculls (LTAmix2x), TA mixed double sculls (TAmix2x), AS women’s single sculls (ASW1x), and AS men’s single sculls (ASM1x). All events except the LTA mixed double sculls are raced at the Paralympics.

Para-rowers can therefore keep training as usual in the knowledge that the expert team of FISA classifiers is aware of the changes and will work with athletes and coaches to ensure fairness for all competitors with Paralympic dreams.

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