Wheelchair Sports in the Paralympics

Whilst wheelchair users in times gone by may have felt marginalised and excluded from society at large, the society we live in today is extremely accepting and accommodating towards a huge range of disabilities. To this end, the first official Paralympic Games open to those other than war veterans was held in Rome in 1960, and has been a major hit ever since, occurring immediately after the Olympic Games since 1988. Since a large number of the competitors involved in the Paraylmpic Games are wheelchair bound, several sports have been adapted in order to include those competitors confined to a wheelchair.

Wheelchair Sports

Although several Paralympic sports, such as archery, shooting and boccia, are open to both wheelchair bound and non-wheelchair bound competitors, four sports in the Paralympic repertoire are exclusively reserved for those confined to a wheelchair. These four sports are explored in detail below:

Wheelchair Basketball

Wheelchair basketball is organised by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation, and is a major competitive sport among wheelchair users, with an estimated 100,000 players worldwide. It is so popular, in fact, that an additional competition, known as the Gold Cup, is held two years after every Paralympic Games. Most of the standard rules of basketball are retained in wheelchair basketball, including the court dimensions and hoop height and size. Some rules, however, have been adjusted, including the redefinition of travelling to touching the wheels of the chair more than twice after receiving or dribbling the ball; the ball must be passed, bounced or shot before the wheels can be touched again. Some countries also allow the participation of able-bodied athletes who are sitting in a wheelchair as part of mixed teams, although these players may not compete internationally. In order to ensure fairness across teams of mixed ability, all competitive players are given a score between 4.5 and 1.0 corresponding to the nature of their disability, where 4.5 indicates minimal disability, and 1.0 indicates a paraplegic athlete who is unable to control movements below the chest. The total score of the five players who are present on the court at any one time must not exceed 14.0 for each team.

Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation, which is itself a subdivision of the International Paralympic Committee. Fencing lends itself well to those who are wheelchair-bound, since only forward and reverse motion is required when on the piste. Athletes who compete in wheelchair fencing may be grouped into one of three classes, depending on the severity of their disability:

• Class A - athletes maintain full movement of the torso, as well as good balance in the chair itself.

• Class B - athletes have no leg movement, as well as impaired balance and movement of the torso.

• Class C - athletes have a disability in all four limbs.

It should be noted that, although Class C athletes are included in this list for the sake of completeness, they are currently unable to participate in wheelchair fencing at the Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair rugby is a form of the game in which two teams of wheelchair bound players compete to score goals by moving the ball across the opposing team's goal line. Contact between chairs is permitted, and indeed an integral part of the game, though because of the precise mechanics of contact and the nature of each athlete's injury, strict rules govern the contact permitted, and players are not allowed to touch other players' bodies during tackles. The sport is played indoors on a hardwood floor of equal dimensions to those of a regulation basketball court, and makes use of a volleyball instead of a traditional rugby ball.

Wheelchair Tennis

Although the court and all the equipment used in wheelchair tennis is identical to that used in traditional tennis, with the obvious exception of the use of wheelchairs being permitted, the rules differ in the important aspect that the ball may bounce up to twice, including one bounce outside the court, and still remain in play. There are three categories: specifically, Men, Ladies, and Quads. The Quads division of the sport refers to competitors who are legally quadriplegic, and these competitors may use a racket taped to a limb in the event that they are unable to hold it. Each of these three divisions have both doubles and singles versions.

British Paralympic Association Contact Information

The British Paralympic Association's website can be accessed by this link http://www.paralympics.org.uk.You can also email them at info@paralympics.org.uk or telephone them on 020 7842 5789.