Research summary · Para sport
Large Para sprint dataset shows performance differences and overlap across sport classes
Researchers analysed 5,681 performances from 1,130 Para athletes with coordination impairments across Paralympic, world-championship and international competitions. Comparisons examined 100-m and 200-m results by sex, T35–T38 sport class and competition level, with Olympic results providing context.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Retrospective competition-performance analysis
- Journal
- Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly
- Population / context
- Para athletics · 100 m and 200 m · T35–T38
What the publication reports
Performance varied by sex, class and competitive level. Some elite comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between T35 and T36 or between T37 and T38, indicating overlap in observed results rather than complete separation by class.
Limits and interpretation
Race results also reflect training, opportunity, selection and competition conditions. Repeated performance records are not independent athletes, and aggregate overlap cannot establish an individual's impairment severity or prove that classification boundaries should change.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Sprint Performance Analysis of 100 and 200 m for Para Athletes With Coordination Impairments by Sex, Sport Classes, and Competition Level
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42601058DOI: 10.1123/apaq.2025-0150Reader discussion
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