The Conceptual Boundaries of Sport for the Disabled: Classification and Athletic Performance

Abstract

This paper examines the increasingly complex issue of classification in the Paralympic Games. It is argued that both "athletic performance" and "fairness" are contested concepts. Any system of classification aspiring to equalise conditions to contest in the Paralympics must strike a balance between ethics and pragmatism and between elitism and inclusion. Finding the balance is difficult, however, Paralympians themselves, informed by sound reasons, must be given a voice in the decision making process. This work contributes to the philosophical analysis of "athletic performance" and informs contemporary debates about the use of technology in the Paralympics.