Sport class

Sport Class Status ‘N’ (NEW) is assigned to an athlete who has not been previously evaluated by an International Classification Panel. For example, this is the case for athletes who were given a ‘provisional’ class at the national level. Athletes with Sport Class Status N MUST present for classification at the next international competition in which they wish to participate (and where classification is available).

REVIEW

Sport Class Status ‘R’ (REVIEW) is assigned to an athlete who has been evaluated by an International Classification Panel, BUT for reasons determined by the International Federation, requires another evaluation at a future competition.

‘R’ status can be assigned to athletes because of:

•  the complexity of their impairment in relationship to the demands of the sport or discipline. Examples are athletes with incomplete lesions.
•  Fluctuating impairments. Examples are athletes with coordination problems that clinically may manifest themselves differently on different occasions.

The athlete’s current sport class is valid until the athlete is seen again by another panel. The International Federation will add the athlete to the classification schedule for the next competition.

It also may be that the Classification Panel is of the view that another assessment should take place, but not necessarily in the near future or at the very next competition. In this case, an athlete can be allocated sport class status ’REVIEW + FIXED DATE’. This will be the case in instances of:

•  Progressive impairment. The nature of the impairment is such that it will deteriorate in future, but the process is slow. Muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis may be examples of this.
•  Unstable medical conditions. An athlete may decide to start competition shortly after injury, but it may be that the final clinical manifestation of impairment is not yet stabilized (e.g. incomplete lesions).
•  Maturity. Young athletes may be subject to change in activity limitation until they reach physical/skeletal maturity.

In the case of R+FIXED DATE, the athlete holds the sport class until the expiry date as defined by the Classification Panel, at which time the Athlete will be added to the Classification Schedule for the next competition.

CONFIRMED

Sport Class Status ‘C’ (CONFIRMED) is assigned to an athlete if he/she has been previously evaluated by an international Classification Panel and this panel has determined that the athlete’s Sport Class will not change.
‘C’ status athletes are NOT required to present for classification at next competition (unless required to do so by a rule change).