Ollie Hynd “Heartbroken and Confused” Over New Para Classification

World Para Swimming (WPS), the international federation that presides over Paralympic swimming, announced in October 2017 that as of January 1st, 2018, it would implement a new classification system to combat accusations of intentional misrepresentation (IM) within the sport.

Para swimmers are classified into various categories to even the playing field within each race. IM occurs when a less-impaired swimmer intentionally get themselves classified as more impaired then they actually are. Each swimmer is classified as having either a physical, visual, or intellectual impairment, and undergoes physical, technical in-sport, and technical in-competition assessments to reach a proper classification; the new system mostly affects the technical assessment portion of the classification process.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has ruled that all para-swimmers will undergo reclassification before Tokyo 2020, and Great Britain has already begun the process. Great Britain’s Ollie Hynd spoke out about the process, which has led to his recent reclassification.

https://www.facebook.com/olliehyndgb/posts/1778001942286967:0

Hynd, 23, was the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the SM8 200 IM, and also won the S8 400m free in Rio. At the Denmark Para Swimming World Series stop in late February, he was reclassified as an S9, meaning he will be racing less impaired swimmers than he previously has (British Swimming already protested, and after a retest, the classification was upheld). He’ll remain SB8 for breaststroke events.

Even in his new class, Hynd will be among the best internationally: his best 200IM and 400 free times from last year would have ranked in the top 5 in the world.

“It is clear that there will be challenges with this and we won’t know the full worldwide implications until maybe next year,” British Swimming Paralympic performance director Chris Furber said. “However, we welcome anything which brings greater consistency to the classification process. “We’ve reacted to the IPC asking for help in a positive way by putting our swimmers through classification at the first opportunity. We don’t want to see us penalized for doing that.”

Other British para-swimmers including Jonathan Fox, Matt Wylie and Jacob Leach were also reassessed and moved to less severe classes, but will be re-evaluated later in the year.

Hynd, as well as Fox and Leach, are scheduled to swim at the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Most other NGBs, including oft-accused Swimming Australia, have yet to begin the classification process.

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Paula
5 years ago

Monica Boggioni just got reclassified from a 4 to a 5 (she still has good ranking across all strokes a class up too)

Mark
5 years ago

So today I approached the Aussie coaching team after the session had finished and in a public area and offered them evidence of IM, a blonde women ( right miserably cow) said we don’t want to know and I feel threatened by you talking too me.
10 mins later the event manager walks up to me in a public place and tells me not to speak to the Aussie coaches!!!

So now you are not allowed to present factual evidence to a NGB
And they say swimming is not a corrupt sport.
In public I will speak to who I like and when

Mark
5 years ago

Millward S9/8/9
Omg protest coming lol

Mark
5 years ago

Alice Tia S8/8/8
Tully Kearney 5/4/5

Para-Swim Mom
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Mark, how can that be? As an 8, Alice Tai’s swims from last month would crush the current world records in the 100 Free and 100 Back? Doe that seem correct? And do you know how the others that were classified today played out?

Mark
Reply to  Para-Swim Mom
5 years ago

Fox stayed the same
Keira Stephens 10-9-10
Kahoru Harazawa GB swimmer NE
FIRTH S14 ( joke watch her utube video)
Applegate S14 ( mm very doubtful )

Spectator
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Firth a joke why?

Mark
Reply to  Spectator
5 years ago

Watch her YouTube video where she claims short term memory loss yet passed her driving theory, and what she claims then goggle her latest video
Or just ask any Ireland coaches

Spectator
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

So you are claiming this person does not have an intellectual impairment?

mark
Reply to  Spectator
5 years ago

well after speaking to a former coach who knows her better than most yes just watch her you tube video and come to your own conclusion

Mary
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Well thats a right royal stuff up!!!!!!
Tully Kearney starts as an S10 in 2012, goes down to an S5 in 2018, initially claims Cerebral Palsy but somehow deteriorates to the point that she drops 5 classes. Shaking my head at that one. This is about as believable as Lakeisha Patterson and all her so called disabilities.

Alice Tai same thing. S10 in 2012, now an S8. Lets watch all those S8 records now disappear under her name. I dare say Lakeisha Patterson will now be quivering having Tai as competition. Millward’s classification today will be interest. Lets all start placing bets on what she will come out as. So much for this being a new and improved classification system.

Julie nesbitt
Reply to  Mary
5 years ago

Wow so many haters with their comments ! As a parent of a child with Dystonia we have learnt that this condition is progressive. It is a very difficult neurological condition to live with. Tully is an inspiration to my my daughter and many others with this condition. I know how much she would love to be an S10 again and have the freedom of movement she use to have, before her Dystonia started, and she had CP. I know this because my own daughter suffers with Dystonia and would give anything to be able to use all 4 limbs freely as she use too, this condition is debilitating and very difficult to live with. Believe it or not swimming… Read more »

Para swim mom
Reply to  Julie nesbitt
5 years ago

I agree with you 100% that we should be proud of all these swimmers that have overcome so much! But I too am a parent of a para swimmer and have tried to have faith in the classification system, but when swimmers are classed down and immediately shatter long standing world records, I feel it should be a red flag. I’m not saying it’s the fault of the swimmers, but the system. It’s never going to be perfect, but being fair would be nice. When a swimmer in a class has no competition and is significantly faster in every stroke than the rest of the class, isn’t it worth at least considering that they have been classed incorrectly? The only… Read more »

mark
Reply to  Julie nesbitt
5 years ago

I was there poolside and watched Tullys classification and have not said she is in the wrong place, I also know that a non stable conditions should not be classified.

we are not haters most of us see a system that is failing those with real in your face disabilities, I can name at least 6 top quality swimmers who have left the sport due to their being no chance to compete on a level playing field.

I visited the Director of Classification last may at his office in Bonn and he promised so much during that meeting and has yet to deliver, I could send you evidence proving that the classification system and those who do the classification are… Read more »

Para swim mom
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

“First to medal was Alice Tai (S8) in the Women’s MC 100m Freestyle event with a World record-breaking time of 1:03.66 and score of 1,050 points. Canada’s Aurelie Rivard (S10) picked up the silver with 982, followed by another Brit, Tully Kearney (S5), on 976 points.“

Mark
5 years ago

So the list for classification review in Sheffield has been posted and surprise surprise GB are yet again up to no good
Jacob Leach and J Fox are up again for a review after being done in Copenhagen just a few months ago.
So this can only mean that NEW MEDICAL EVIDENCE has been found that was not available in Copenhagen.
So what’s the betting they are hoping for a reversal to their lower classification.
And shock at Australia sending two swimmers to gain IPC classification
Keira Stephens
Elizabeth Slack

Mary
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

One would think that if they had new medical evidence they would have had it In Copenhagen? Have GB been scrounging around to get paperwork to support a lower class? Just shows how desperate some people are to get lower classes. Maybe this is where a neurologist from IPC could come in and do a second medical on these swimmers. Sounds easy enough.

mark
Reply to  Mary
5 years ago

latest is that Leach and Fox are looking for a technical reason to support their classification review, it seems they are both under the same pane.
With GB having 14 swimmers up for review only 3 are listed against other time slots, by this I mean 4 panels listed starting at 08.30
so panel A as I call them as they are first on the list have all the GB swimmers against their time slots

08.30
panel A= Alice Tia

panel B= Patrick Flanagan ( IRL )

panel C= Zsolt Vereczkei ( HUN)

panel D= Hennadii Boiko ( UKR)

10.00
panel A= Tully Kearney

panel B= Yoav Valinsky (ISR)

panel… Read more »

LMA
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Maybe they successfully appealed the process? Interesting to see Millward, Kearney, Tai (& Lorande who was also recently reclassified like Leach & Fox) on the list. Utterly shameful that Australia appear to be the only NGB not participating in reclassification but are happily sending a couple of young newbies across the pond. Poor governance by the IPC really to allow such behaviour.

Kristiina
5 years ago

Please all athletes appeal Court of Arbitration Sport(CAS) by IPC classification systems. Athletes must battle own juridical rights.

Kristiina
5 years ago

Why athletes not appealing CAS(Sport Arbition Court)?

Kristiina
5 years ago

Para-Athletes must be appeal CAS own cases. Only CAS appeals help.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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