IPC WILL CONDUCT OPEN CONSULTATIONS ON THE REVISION OF THE 2015 ATHLETES CLASSIFICATION CODE

16 March 2021

Following a decision approved by the International Paralympic Committee Executive Board, the IPC will hold an extensive open consultation on the revision of the 2015 Athletes' Classification Code. The consultations will take place in three stages over three years.

Classification is the foundation of the Paralympic Movement and has two important functions:

- It determines which para-athletes are eligible to compete and in which sport;

- The classification unites athletes into sports classes, its goal is to minimize the impact of defeat on the final result, so that it is sportsmanship that determines the winners.

The IPC regularly reviews its policies to meet its goals. In the Strategic Plan for 2019–2022. The IPC is committed to “solving long-term classification problems”. Classification is a complex and constantly evolving field. Improvement of the Athlete Classification Code is considered as a necessary condition for the further development of the Paralympic movement.

The last revision of the IPC Athlete Classification Code took place in 2013 and was adopted by the IPC Executive Board, leading to the implementation of the current Code in June 2015. The Code provides policies and procedures for Paralympic classification that should be common to all sports and the Paralympic Games.

Since the final documents will not be approved before the IPC General Assembly in December 2023, the current 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code and related international standards remain in full force and effect until the date of entry into force of the new Code. At this stage, it is envisaged that the new Code will enter into force in January 2025 for summer sports and in July 2026 for winter sports.

The extended revision timeline is based on the experience of previous reviews of the IPC Guidelines, Athlete Classification Code and WADA Code 2021. In addition to the fact that sufficient time is needed to discuss and receive feedback from affiliates, it is also taken into account that a number of significant events - Paralympic Games in Tokyo, IPC General Assembly (including elections of the IPC Executive Committee and President), Winter Paralympic Games 2022 in Beijing.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:

“In October 2019, I announced to the IPC General Assembly that improving the classification would be my number one priority for the next two years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenge for the Paralympic movement in many ways, we have kept our promise to begin the consultation process by 2021. The revision of the 2015 IPC Athlete Classification Code will be thorough and will be carried out in partnership with all of our affiliates so that together we can develop a better system.”

The Code Development Group has already been established by the IPC Executive Committee. She goes to work immediately. It will be chaired by independent chairman Scott Field. South African swimmer who competed in the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000 and in Athens in 2004. He will present the project to the board and affiliates at the IPC General Assembly.

Parsons added:

“I am delighted to have Scott Field lead the code development team. Scott has fantastic grading knowledge and experience. He has been a member of the IPC Classification Committee since 2012 and has an excellent understanding of the Code and its purpose. He not only understands the challenges faced by our members in this area, but also offers a vital perspective from the athletes. He is the perfect person to carry out this review."

The team members were selected based on their experience and knowledge of classification and their relationship with many of the IPC affiliates. The Group includes members of the IPC Executive Board, the IPC Classification Committee, athletes, classifiers, members of International Federations (IFs), National Paralympic Committees and International Organizations of Sports for People with Disabilities, which ensures that many different perspectives are taken into account.

Scott Field, chair of the code development group, said:

“Classification is what sets Paralympic sports apart from all others. It ensures that Paralympic athletes can achieve high results in sports, whether they are severely or minimally impaired.

The basis for classification in all sports of the Paralympic Movement is the Athlete Classification Code and related international standards. The IPC wants them to be fit for purpose in our ever-changing world. We will encourage all stakeholders to help strengthen the Paralympic classification by helping us by proposing amendments to these policy documents during the Code Review period. This is a great opportunity for all to play their part in creating a better and fairer Paralympic movement.”

The review will include the following three phases of open consultation with an anticipated timeline as follows (all dates are tentative):

- April 2021 - May 2022 - Phase 1: consultation, analysis and feedback, as well as the first draft presented and agreed by the IPC Executive Committee.

- June 2022 - February 2023 - Phase 2: consultations, analysis and compilation of feedback, as well as a second draft presented and agreed by the IPC Executive Committee.

- March 2023 - October 2023 - Phase 3: consultations, analysis and compilation of feedback, as well as the final draft presented and agreed by the IPC Executive Committee.

- December 2023 - The final draft is expected to be approved by the IPC General Assembly.

- January 1, 2024 - publication of the final documents, including the Model Rules for International Federations.

- 2025 - The new Code and International Standards are expected to enter into force for summer sports after consultation with members of the IPC.

- 2026 - The New Code and International Standards are expected to enter into force after the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and will apply during the 2026/27 winter season. Again, this is subject to agreement with the members of the IPC.

There will be regular meetings and calls with IPC members at all stages of the consultation, as well as a series of training sessions, especially after the publication of the final documents in 2024. Several subgroups will also work with the Code Development Group to produce various accompanying documents.

As part of this process, the code development team will collect and analyze feedback through open consultation stages. This will include feedback from stakeholders: from the IPC Athletes Council, the IPC Medical Committee, the IPC Science and Research Working Group, the IPC Classification Appeals Board, classifiers, human rights experts and other relevant experts.

The IPC website provides an overview of the IPC classification code revision process: https://www.paralympic.org/classification-code-review

List of Code Development Team and Sub-Team Representatives for the 2015 Athlete Classification Code Review Process.

CODE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

- Scott Field (Chairman)

- Tim Reddish (IPC Executive Representative)

- Anne Hart (IPC Classification Committee Representative)

- Curt Fearnley (Athlete Representative)

- To be specified (Second representative of athletes)

- Tom Dilen (Representative of the International Federation)

- Leila Marquez Mota (representative from the National Paralympic Committee)

- Hilary Beaton (National Paralympic Committee Representative)

- Rudy Van den Abbele (Representative of the International Organization of Sports for the Disabled)

- Fatima Fernandez (representative from classifiers)

- Jonathan Taylor (Lead Developer)

- Ty Chisik (ex officio)

- James Lancaster (ex officio)

- Liz Riley (ex officio)

SUBGROUP OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARD OF ACCEPTABLE LOSSES

- Jurgen Schwittai / Moran Samuel

- Sean Tweedy

- Ian Govans

- Peter Derksen

- Ian Burns

- Viola Altman

SUBGROUP ON INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR TRAINING STAFF AND CLASSIFIERS

- Jenny Cole (Lead)

- Pablo Perez

- Erin Popovich / Jurgen Schwittai

- Raoul Reina

- Sharyn Gregory

SUBGROUP OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR CLASSIFICATION DATA PROTECTION

- Daniel Cooper / Kurt Wimmer (MCs)

- Graham Arthur

- Ekaterina Yurie

- Fatima Fernandez