Para-swimming will see some big changes this year, with the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) rolling out an updated manual with new rules on classification.
IPC swimmers are each classified into one of fourteen different classes, to allow swimmer to compete against others with the same physical attributes: missing limbs, visual impairments, etc.
Paralympic star Mallory Weggemann produced an excellent piece last summer explaining the classification system in more detail; you can read that story here.
The current classification system has hit some snags in the past few years, though. Before the 2012 Paralympics in London, several athletes (including Weggemann and fellow American Justin Zook) were reclassified to new classes at the last minute leading the IPC to spread their classification screenings out in order to avoid such last-minute suprises.
This summer, controversy brewed at the IPC World Championships in Glasgow, with Australia’s Maddison Elliott being reclassified multiple times during the meet. A U.S. coach tweeted critical comments about the reclassification and was removed from the coaching staff for the ParaPan Am Games later in the summer.
Then there’s the case of Ian Silverman, who was abruptly classified right out of IPC Swimming when the IPC ruled that he was no long considered a para-swimmer, despite having cerebral palsy.
With all of that chaos in mind, the IPC has updated its rules and regulations with some very different classification procedures. Tom Miazga, a star of the U.S. Paralympics Team, helped walk us through the changes:
Water Test Changes
- Swimmers must now swim a full 50 meters of each stroke (previously less than a 25)
- Freestyle must include a turn (a flip turn or other turn if the athlete does not use flip turns) with 5 meters of swimming after the turn
- Everything must be done at race pace
- Classifiers must declare why they added points to a swimmer’s class during a water test
- The point breakdown between starts and turns is defined with more clarity under the new rules
Miazga notes that the third point could be the most contentious, as it obviously comes with some subjectivity as to what each individual’s “race pace” truly is.
General Classification Changes
- Classifiers need to have one of two qualifications in order to classify athletes:
- Be a certified health professional in a field relevant to the impairment of the athlete being classified
- Have extensive coaching or other background in IPC swimming and expertise on the subject (as determined by the IPC)
- Height restrictions for the S6 and S7 classes, which are typically for those with dwarfism or a similar condition
- S6/SB6: Men must be 137cm or below, women 130cm
- S7/SB7: Men must be 145cm or below, women 137cm
Tom told us the changes look like improvements in the realm of clarity, with a “noticeable change in the level of detail provided.”
You can view the new IPC Swimming Manual here (effective September 2015), and you can compare it to this old manual from May of 2011.
Whatv about the ‘cyclist’ who was S24, then tried to be between S7 and S9 but was found out and is now a para-cyclist? Why is this allowed to happen?
My son is 20 years old and was allowed to swim for S10. he has narcolepsy with cataplexy and he will be outclassed shortly as the new changes to classification do not allow him to swim because neurological impairment is not recognised by Ipc.His neurological report from one of top Neurologist in our country bears no weight. Hie has muscle paralysis with both arms legs are clearly visible in water but still no luck.I think that the Ipc definitely lacks medical expertise with neurological disorder. My son is new to the para swimming with no bright future ahead of him. we have no way forward in solving this ipc rules.
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Good topic. I have been close to Para Swimming for 15 years in Canada. There is no question in mind that the IPC system for classification is evolving slowly and maybe for the better. During the process the people involved must get better around the world. If we compare to able bodied athletes we know every “once in a while” a “phenom” comes along ie Wayne Gretzky or Tiger Woods. In like manner ever once and a while phenominal para swimmers will show up. At the rate we are adding new phenoms to virtually every class I have to question the accuracy of the classifications. In Canada the Long Term Athlete Development policy states that to become a world class… Read more »
Peter van de Vliet is IPC Medical & Scientific Director and is the sole point of contact for the Classification, Sports Science and Medical Committees.
Dr Peter van de Vliet received his doctorate from Physiotherapy research. No medical background to speak off whatsoever.
There in lies the problem. There is a clear conflict of interest between medicine and classification when the Director of Medicine does not even have a medical background.
The only credible way forward is for the IOC to fund the IPC to develop an independent testing system.
Given that the Australian S8 swimmers appear to have been given leave to continue to compete in classes well below their abilities, this needs to be sooner rather than later.… Read more »
Lakeisha ‘Lucky’ Patterson – Australias’ People’s choice Award
The people of Australia apparently have voted for a swimmer with a classification history of S10, NE, S9,S7, S8 and impairments of Parkinsons Disease and Cerebral Palsy? One would have to assume that this impressive list of impairments has been investigated by the IPC by now.
Maddison Elliott – Paralympic Program Swimmer of the year
Elliott has allegedly admitted to cheating and this can be proven. And hey, we all watched the videos from Glasgow. Again, one would have to assume this has been investigated by the IPC by now.
One would also assume Craig Nicholson has filed a report on his decision and that the IPC has investigated.
Come on IPC,… Read more »
Twitter was very interesting – especially #SOTY15.
Australian Swimming named Maddison Elliott Paralympic Swimmer of the year. Her coach Sharman was Coach of the year.
Thanks heaps Mr Gonzalez & co for throwing your full support behind cheaters and politically driven objects.
Can you answer this – Who, if not you Mr Gonzalez stands up for honest athletes? Time to ask the sponsors the same question.
Shame on Australia.
Well, if there was ever any doubt that para-swimming is a political farce, Swimming Australia demolished that doubt at their Swimmer of the Year awards. Who has been rightly targeted on the various swimming opinion pages in recent times? Maddison Elliott, Lakeisha Patterson and Tiffany Thomas Kane (through no fault of her own)? So who do you think cleaned up all the awards, even winning them over the able bodied swimmers? Yes, that’s right, Maddison Elliott, Lakeisha Patterson, Tiffany Thomas Kane and just for good measure, Maddison Elliott’s coach. So politically pointed it is laughable. How do these people sleep at night? Karma is inevitable however.
A snippet from Elliotts uploaded to fb Paralympic Program Swimmer of the Year acceptance speech addressing her team mates “if it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be standing where I am today.”
Presumably she’s thanking her team mates for not reporting her to the IPC for admitting that she was going to cheat during classification and has habitually cheated throughout her career.
For anyone unfamiliar with Elliott and Pattersons remarkable rise and success through the swimming ranks, please google ‘swimswam.com/how did 13 year old Tiffany Kane break a world record’.
There are a myriad of comments on that thread all questioning the authenticity of these ‘swimmers’
And the integrity of Australian Swimming and the IPC.
The bottom line is without Elliotts and Pattersons ill gotten medals (I’ve excluded Tiffany Kane and assumed genuine classifier error) Australias position on the medal ladder would have been very different indeed.
It is politics that drives the International Paralympic Committee, not sport. There is absutely no visible accountability within the IPC with its volunteer classifiers and lackadaisical, condescending academics.
It is time now to… Read more »
Wel said! I couldn’t agree more. One of the IPCs most senior classifiers presided over World Championships – Craig Nicholson. He classed down Elliott over a 90 second swim – backstroke. There was a hurridly added 200 IM S9 added to Elliotts program presumably because he suddenly realised she was going to classified without swimming breastroke. It was shambolic, unprofessional and political.
Referencing Science, Medicine …Not A Factor – what on earth then do the IPC sport scientists and classification geniuses do all day? The classifiers are meant to read and understand all documents presented during classification. Further, the IPC have six weeks to go through, usually no more than 25 at the most, swimmers documentation in preparation for classification.… Read more »
I was chatting with a colleague today regarding the issue of pediatric Parkinson’s Disease. I piqued his interest and we meandered over the to medical school library and attempted a literature search to access the youngest reported diagnosis of Parkinson’s. We could not find any report of a definitive diagnosis in a pediatric patient, late teens was the earliest. We did find several studies related to particular symptoms that later lend themselves to a Parkinson’s diagnosis. I would love to extend an invitation to the Australian neurologist who made this landmark diagnosis. Our Level 1 trauma center/teaching hospital would be ever so pleased to have the physician present at Grand Rounds. Please send me your contact information and we can… Read more »
Please Scoence, Medicine ….. Not a Factor can you write to Mr Xavier Gonzalez IPC CEO and cc Sit Philip Craven President?
This craziness has gone far enough and it needs to stop.
Fantastic to read this and your previous post.
Can we all chip in and also send Elliott and Patterson to you for you to review and diagnose?
They’ll be no trouble, they both like to go for a run and Elliott hardly bothers with training anyway so you won’t have much running around to do.