Para Athletics
Para Athletics - KSAPH
Para athletics is the biggest sport within the Paralympic Movement in terms of the number of participating athletes and countries.
It was one of eight sports included in the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and has remained on the programme ever since, consistently attracting the biggest crowds and TV audiences.
Today World Para Athletics, under the governance of the International Paralympic Committee, acts as the international federation for the sport and is based in Bonn, Germany.
Para athletics is the biggest sport within the Paralympic Movement in terms of the number of participating athletes and countries.
It was one of eight sports included in the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and has remained on the programme ever since, consistently attracting the biggest crowds and TV audiences.
Today World Para Athletics, under the governance of the International Paralympic Committee, acts as the international federation for the sport and is based in Bonn, Germany.
Open to male and female athletes in all eligible impairment groups, Para athletics offers a wide range of competition opportunities. This includes the Paralympic Games which are held every four years, biennial World and World Junior Championships and biennial or quadrennial regional Championships.
Since 2013 an annual Grand Prix season has taken place featuring several meetings around the world and, from 2016 onwards, wheelchair racers have competed as part of the World Marathon Majors series.
Athletes compete according to their sport specific classification in each event. Some compete in wheelchairs and some with prostheses, while vision impaired athletes are supported by a sighted guide. To further increase the number of athletes with high support needs competing in the sport, the discipline of RaceRunning was included in World Para Athletics events from the start of 2018.
Para athletics is now practised internationally by athletes in more than 130 countries.
EQUIPMENT
Many Para athletics events require specific sport equipment such as the club, discus, shot put, and javelin. In addition, Para athletes may use certain assistive devices as specified in the World Para Athletics rules.
Wheelchairs are considered sports equipment in track and field events, and racing wheelchair tend to be very lightweight and aerodynamic.
Prosthetic devices may be used by amputees. These have been specifically developed to withstand the demands of sports competition. World Para Athletics rules require the use of leg prostheses in track events; however, the use of prostheses in field events is optional
Rope tethers or other devices may be used by runners with a vision impairment to link with their sighted guides. Acoustic devices (or a sighted "caller") may be used to indicate take-off in jumping events, throwing target areas, etc.
