PyeongChang 2018 Sport Week: Classification in wheelchair curling

As the final PyeongChang 2018 Sport Week comes to an end, it is time to take a look at how classification works in wheelchair curling.

Wheelchair curling has only one sport class. Athletes must have an impairment affecting their legs. However, some wheelchair curlers may also have impairment in their arms. For example, some athletes have muscle weakness in their legs due to spinal cord injury and others have impaired coordination due to cerebral palsy.

All athletes must use a wheelchair in competition, though not all athletes use a wheelchair in daily life. All wheelchair curlers must meet the minimum impairment criteria to compete.

Athletes with these impairments are eligible to compete in wheelchair curling:

• Impaired muscle power

• Impaired passive range of movement

• Hypertonia

• Limb deficiency

• Ataxia