Sprint Performance Analysis of 100 and 200 m for Para Athletes With Coordination Impairments by Sex, Sport Classes,...

Para athletics is a major Paralympic discipline based on a classification system that minimizes the impact of impairments on performance. This study examines sprint performance differences in ambulant para athletes with coordination impairments (spastic hypertonia, ataxia, dystonia) across 100- and 200-m events by sex, sport class (T35-T38), and competition level. Performance data from Olympic athletes were included as a control group to contextualize the magnitude of differences relevant to the identification of minimal impairment criteria. Data included 5,681 performance observations from 1,130 unique para athletes across Paralympic Games, World Championships, and international competitions. Men consistently outperformed women across all classes and events. Performance varied by sport class, with no significant differences between T35 versus T36 and T37 versus T38 in some elite competitions. Olympic athletes outperformed para athletes in all comparisons. Findings reveal that sex, sport class, and competition level significantly influence performance, though overlaps between adjacent classes persist. These results highlight the need for further investigation into classification boundaries and their relationship to performance disparities in elite para sport.