Carrying on in our series of features on the up-coming Commonwealth Games, I’ve had a look at para-athletics to see how it all works behind the scenes.

Arguably the most iconic sport at an international level, athletics is regulated like every other sport to ensure that whatever disability an athlete might have, it won’t play a part in the contest. Athletes are classified into groups to guarantee nobody will have an unfair advantage and ultimately it will be down to the strength, endurance, skill and sheer determination of each individual athlete.

I found it interesting, incidentally, that the International Paralympic Committee says on its website that classification “to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight”. Perhaps it barely qualifies as a point, but it’s a parallel that I’d never thought of.

Classifications

(For a fully detailed list of the athletics classifications see the IPC website by clicking here)

The classifications are labelled T or F depending on the sport. T for Track/Jumps and F for Field. In many cases the lower the number, the higher the activity limitation.

Sport Classes T/F11-13: Visual impairment

The three sport classes 11, 12 and 13 are allocated to athletes with varying degrees of visual impairment, with sport class 11 including athletes with the lowest vision and sport class 13 including athletes with the best vision meeting the minimum criteria. All athletes in the T11 sport class run with a guide runner and are blindfolded. Athletes in sport class T12 may also choose to run with a guide.

Sport Class T/F 20: Intellectual impairment

Athletes in this class are diagnosed with intellectual impairment and meet sport-specific minimum impairment criteria in 1,500m, long jump or shot put, respectively.

Sport Classes T32-38 and F31-38

The 30s sport classes are allocated to athletes with athetosis, ataxia and/or hypertonia. The impairments typically affect the ability to control legs, trunk, arms and hands. The lower the number is, the more significant the activity limitation.

Sport Class F40-41

Athletes with short stature compete in the sport class F40 and F41. Athletes in F40 have a shorter stature than F41.

Sport Classes T42-47 and F42-46

These sport classes are designated for athletes with limb deficiencies, such as amputations. In the sport classes 42-44 the legs are affected by impairment and in the sport classes 45-47 the arms are affected, for example by above or below elbow amputations.

Sport Classes T51-54 and F51-57:

The 50s sport classes only include athletes competing in a wheelchair. Again, a lower number indicates a higher activity limitation.

The six scheduled events are:

• Monday 28^th July - Men’s 100m T37

• Tuesday 29^th & Thursday 31^st July - Men’s 1,500m T54

• Monday 28^th July - Men’s discuss F42/44

• Monday 28^th July - Women’s 100m T12

• Tuesday 29^th & Thursday 31^st July - Women’s 1,500m T54

• Sunday 27^th of July - Women’s long jump F37/38

You tell me…

I’ve been trying to determine who the favourites are this year. Which athletes are the ones we should be keeping track of? Have you got any tips? Scotland’s own Libby Clegg seems to have gained a lot of support from the public and she did manage to bring home a Silver medal at the London Paralympics. Can she do it again?