Performance Characteristics of Para Swimmers: How Effective Is the Swimming Classification System?

Brendan Burkett; Carl Payton; Peter Van de Vliet; Hannah Jarvis; Daniel Daly; Christiane Mehrkuehler; Marvin Kilian; Luke Hogarth

doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2018.01.011

Performance Characteristics of Para Swimmers: How Effective Is the Swimming Classification System?

Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2018 May;29(2):333-346. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.01.011.

Authors

Brendan Burkett¹, Carl Payton², Peter Van de Vliet³, Hannah Jarvis², Daniel Daly⁴, Christiane Mehrkuehler⁴, Marvin Kilian⁵, Luke Hogarth⁶

Affiliations

¹ High Performance Sport, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, School of Health and Sport Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4558, Australia. Electronic address: bburkett@usc.edu.au.
² HEAL Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Crewe Green Road, Crewe CW1 5DU, United Kingdom.
³ Medical and Scientific Department, International Paralympic Committee, Adenauerallee 212-214, Bonn 53113, Germany.
⁴ Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.
⁵ Institute of Training Science and Sport Informatics, German Sport University, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, Cologne 50933, Germany.
⁶ School of Health and Sport Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland 4558, Australia.

PMID: 29627092
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.01.011

Abstract

Swimming is one of the inaugural sports within the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the key difference between the Olympic and Paralympic games being the classification system. The aim of this study was to investigate how effective the current classification system creates clearly differentiated Paralympic competition classes, based on performance time for all swimming strokes and events. Based on the performance characteristics of swimmers within the current classification system, the relationship between impairment and swimming performance is inconsistent, potentially disadvantaging some athletes. Appropriate sports medicine tests are required for the development of an evidence-based swimming classification system.

Keywords: Impairments; Paralympics; Swimming classification; Swimming performances.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Athletes* / classification
Athletic Performance
Disabled Persons* / classification
Humans
Swimming* / classification
Swimming* / physiology