Earlier this year, American David Berling filed a lawsuit against the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Enough was enough, thought the cyclist, who will take up the fight against classification cheating in para sports. – It happens all the time. It happens in para-cycling and, from what I’ve heard from other athletes, in other sports. It happens everywhere, says Berling to ABC. Classification cheating is when an athlete exaggerates their own impairment in order to end up in an easier class. And thus increases your own chances of a medal. This is classification Classification is a way of making competitions for people with disabilities as fair as possible. The athletes have to go through several tests which will determine which class they will compete in. The tests vary depending on which sport you will be competing in and which disability you have. For example: If you are visually impaired, the main focus is on tests that measure vision. Classification cheating is if you deceive the tests by exaggerating your own impairment. According to Berling, he has seen several examples of this. Among other things, he claims to have seen a competitor standing on a skateboard. In Berling’s class, the athletes struggle with balance and use a tricycle for support. At 20:00 Watch and follow the opening ceremony in the Paralympics here Fears the cheating will continue Through the lawsuit, he wants more influence for the athletes. If you believe that a competitor has a classified fault, it must be possible to notify, he believes. Today, only national and international federations can complain about an athlete’s classification. – Athletes will do what is necessary to succeed and gain a competitive advantage. If no one holds them accountable, they will continue to do it, Berling believes. news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt supports Berling and believes that a clean-up is required. COMMENTATOR: Jan Petter Saltvedt. Photo: Henrik Myhr Nielsen / news – The athletes themselves must also be given the opportunity to report what they believe to be cheating from competitors. They are the ones who see what goes on in arenas from day to day – and until they are given the right to appeal, you will not gain the necessary trust in the justice of para-sport either, he says. In the past, the American swimmer Jessica Long and former wheelchair sprinter Tanni Grey-Thompson have also called out warnings about cheating in para sports. – This has to be done Cato Zahl Pedersen is head of Norway’s squad in this year’s Paralympics in Paris. – It is on the same lines as doping, it is completely inappropriate, he says of those who cheat on the tests. In Tokyo three years ago, Indian discus thrower Vinod Kumar was banned for two years for classification cheating. In Sydney 2000, the Spanish basketball team were stripped of their gold medals when it became known that they had lied about being disabled. PARA CHIEF: Cato Zahl Pedersen. Photo: Terje Haugnes / news The examples are many. Zahl Pedersen wants more effort to be put into exposing cheaters, including more checks during competition. – There will always be someone who will try to cross the line, and we have to use a lot of resources to prevent that from happening. This must be done. Saltvedt advocates the creation of an independent body, such as WADA is for doping, to be responsible for any problems with classification. – It will be possible to provide systems that catch attempts at cheating to a much greater extent and through this create trust in the sport, he believes. Saltvedt points out that the Paralympics are more commercially attractive than in the past, with high cash prizes in several countries. – Then the temptation to try to cheat also becomes correspondingly much greater. – Completely possible to cheat Aida Dahlen is Norway’s leading table tennis hope in Paris, and says that there have been suspicions – also in her class. – I think it is entirely possible to cheat, says Aida Dahlen. PARA-HOPE: Aida Dahlen. Photo: Terje Haugnes / news She herself went through classification when she started as a para athlete, but says that in her case it was easy to classify. Dahlen was born with half a left arm and half a left leg. – But then there are others who I feel can cheat on movements, so that they come in a lower class. Then it may happen that the opponent gets worse, and it becomes easier to get to the top of the world ranking and win. So I unfortunately believe that it is entirely possible to cheat. – What can be done about it? – I think the classifiers must be very careful to follow along during the tournaments, says Dahlen. Working with new rules – If someone intentionally misleads, it is a serious crime that can be severely punished, says Teddy Katz in the IPC to news. He states that they are currently working on a new regulatory framework for classification, which will come into force from 1 January 2025. IPC TOP: Teddy Katz. Photo: AFP In reviewing the existing regulations, they have found several things that can be improved, and Katz promises an even more professional classification system than before. – It will provide the highest standard for classification and procedures, says Katz. According to him, the athletes have also been given input into the new regulations. Kashafali changed class Where some try to end up in a lighter class, Salum Kashafali has gone the opposite way. Not necessarily on purpose, but after new tests, Norway’s star sprinter will compete against competitors with better vision than before. When he won gold in Tokyo three years ago, he ran in the T12 class for the visually impaired. In Paris he runs in T13. – It was a coincidence, really. But for me it doesn’t matter, T12 or T13, I just want to run. There is better competition, and then I get to run with eight people in the field, says Kashafali. LIGHTNING FAST: Salum Kashafali runs 100 meters in the Paralympics. Photo: Terje Haugnes / news In Tokyo, he had won gold regardless of class, and could call himself the world’s fastest para athlete. In the T13 class, there were even slightly faster times than in T12, and the sprinter can expect slightly tougher competition in Paris. Without the self-confident Bergener completely agreeing with that. – More difficult? I became world champion last year in the same class, then. And took the world record. It doesn’t sound more difficult. – It’s the same thing. It doesn’t mean anything to me except that there are eight pieces in the lanes. I feel that I get to push myself more, and that is one of the reasons why I have been able to run faster than before, says Kashafali, who holds the world record in both T12 and T13. Shocked by what the Olympic winner says about the muffin 01:18 Uses MacGyver solution: – A lot you can’t get hold of 01:20 This is where things go wrong for the news reporter live 00:36 Absurd VAR protest – organized barbecue with sack race 00 :27 Show more Published 28.08.2024, at 18.54 Updated 28.08.2024, at 19.09
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– In line with doping – Paralympics Paris 2024
