Date: Tuesday 25th May 2010
Venue: Manchester Regional Arena

Athletics is one of the most established and popular sports associated with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and can be traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC. Track and Field Athletics combines sprinting, distance running, wheelchair racing, throwing and jumping events under one roof, making it one of the most exciting spectator sports which traditionally forms the backbone of the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Staged at the Manchester Regional Arena at Sportscity, the 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup athletics programme will allow Team GB team to compete on home soil against the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World in the exciting new team format.

Amidst fierce international competition they will hope to lift the Athletics Team Trophy and will be the first sport to accumulate points in the race to win the inaugural BT Paralympic World Cup overall Competition Trophy.

Facts about Athletics

Athletes compete according to their functional classification in each event providing thrilling finishes as first past the post wins!

Classifications:

The letter ‘F’ is for field athletes, ‘T’ determines those who compete on the track while the number refers to their functional classification.

T – Track
F – Field

T/F  11-13 Athletes with a Visual Impairment
T/F  31-38 Athletes with Cerebral Palsy
T/F  40-46 Amputee & Les Autres (including Dwarf Athletes)
T  51-54 Wheelchair Racers
F 51-58 Seated Field Athletes

The classification process identifies the athletes’ functional ability in relation to the event group in which they are competing. The athlete undergoes a series of mobility tests and is seen in competition by IPC (International Paralympic Committee) qualified classifiers.

Athletes with a Visual Impairment

Athletes with a visual impairment are not subject to the functional classification process in the same way as athletes with physical impairments. Classification for these athletes involves an eye test that must be carried out by an Ophthalmologist/Optometrist. The athlete will receive an official classification and must bring this information to competitions.

Only athletes who receive a classification of B1 – B3 through this system will be eligible for IPC Competition.