Paralympic disability categories under fire over fairnessWithin each Paralympic impairment category there are a vast range of abilitiesTOKYO - They're supposed to be about making parasports fair, but the category system central to disabled sports and the Paralympics, which classifies athletes according to their impairment, is increasingly under fire. He made his Paralympic debut in Rio, aged 16, and just missed out on a spot on the podium. "I decided to put aside Paralympic swimming so long as these problems with classification continue," he told AFP. The International Paralympic Committee defends the system, asserting that "sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious". That, he said, penalises him unfairly, "because I know how to properly work with my disability".

Source: Bangkok Post August 30, 2021 05:03 UTC