Back To Paralympic Sports
Para-athletics has been contested at the Paralympic Games since the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960.
Events are open to male and female athletes in all impairment groups eligible for Paralympic sport. Athletes compete according to their functional classifications in each event, with events continually being redefined to include as many athletes as possible.
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Athletes race over 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m. 4x100m and 4x400m relays, marathons, club throw, discus, high jump, javelin, long jump, shot put and triple jump are also contested.
| Intellectual Impairment | Yes |
| Physical Impairment | Yes |
| Vision Impairment | Yes |
An intellectual impairment is a limitation in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills, which develops before the age of 18.
A physical impairment is an impairment affecting the physical body and relates to one or more of the conditions listed below:
A vision impairment is an impairment of the eye structure, optical nerves or pathways, or visual cortex, which impacts the vision in both eyes.
Athletes are grouped into classes in accordance with the classification rules. An athlete’s class is based on how their impairment impacts the movement skills required in their sport.
Athletes are given classifications with the prefix ‘T’ for track events and ‘F’ for field events.
| T20, F20 | Athletes with an intellectual impairment |
| T31-38, F31-38, T40-47, F40-47, T51-54, F51-57, T61-64, F61-64 | Athletes with a physical impairment |
| T11-13, F11-13 | Athletes with a vision impairment |
| Not Eligible (NE) | Does not have an eligible impairment type and/or meet the minimum impairment criteria for Para-athletics |
For more information, please click here.
Click here to find out more about seeking a Para-athletics classification.
Athletics Australia manages the National Para-athletics Classification Masterlist. This list includes athletes who have been classified in accordance with the World Para-athletics Classification Rules and Regulations, Paralympics Australia’s Classification Policy and Athletics Australia’s classification policy.
Click here to view the Masterlist.
Most Para-athletics disciplines, including discus, javelin, shot put and wheelchair racing, require specific sport equipment. Additionally, athletes may use assistive devices including prosthetics, rope tethers and acoustic devices.
The prosthetics used have been specifically developed to withstand the demands of competition. Leg prostheses are required in track events, but in field events they are optional.
Rope tethers and other similar devices may be used by runners with a vision impairment to link them to their sighted guides, and acoustic devices (or a sighted ‘caller’) may be used to indicate throwing targets, take-off in jumping events, etc.
For more information, click here.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 26 |
| 2012 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 27 |
| 2008 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 26 |
| 2004 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 32 |
| 2000 | 35 | 15 | 16 | 66 |
| 1996 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 43 |
| 1992 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 40 |
| 1988 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 53 |
| 1984 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 58 |
| 1980 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 34 |
| 1976 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 22 |
| 1972 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 1968 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
| 1964 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 1960 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
We encourage those wishing to explore Para-athletics to contact their state federation in the first instance. The national federation link below provides information on the national high performance program leading to competing internationally and at the Paralympic Games.
| National Federation | ||
| Organisation | Website | |
| Athletics Australia | athletics.com.au/home | |
| State Federations | ||
| State | Organisation | Website |
| ACT | Athletics ACT | athleticsact.org.au |
| NSW | Athletics NSW | nswathletics.org.au |
| NT | Athletics NT | ntathletics.org.au |
| QLD | QLD Athletics | qldathletics.org.au |
| SA | Athletics SA | athleticssa.com.au/home |
| TAS | Athletics TAS | tasathletics.org.au |
| VIC | Athletics VIC | athsvic.org.au |
| WA | Athletics WA | waathletics.org.au |
