Paralympic program

For information on provisional/national classification including obtaining a classification, accessing a classification review, eligibility of classification – please visit AA Diversity and Inclusion OR contact our national classification department.

International Classification is run by World Para Athletics, facilitated by Australian Athletics and Paralympics Australia when held in Australia. 

International Classification is typically offered annually in Australia for para athletes with a Physical Impairment and biennially (alternating years) for athletes with a Vision or Intellectual Impairment.

International Classification is usually run between January and April. There is only one International classification opportunity within the Oceania region each year, and Australia is usually the facilitator of this.

There are limited classification slots available to each NPC (National Paralympic Committee) who attends the classification opportunity. Due to the demand of classification slots, Australian Athletics will prioritise Australian athletes using the principles outlined below.

For further information on the documentation required to attend international classification please review the information available specific to your impairment (Physical, Intellectual, Visual).

Access to International Classification is via nomination.

Prioritisation decisions are based around the proximity to Benchmark Events (BME) such as World Championships and Paralympic Games.

Decisions are based on our understanding of an athletes most recent results; an athletes current national and international classification and classification status; and the level of information and direction we are given from World Para Athletics.

Prioritisation considerations:

1. High medal chance and/or high classification risk athletes will be prioritised prior to attending senior Benchmark events (WPA Championships / Paralympic Games).

2. An athlete will be prioritised where a classification circumstance limits that athlete’s ability to compete Nationally.

3. NASS Athletes and / or Podium / Paralympic Pathway Athletes will be prioritised over Non-NASS athletes.

Australian Athletics prioritises access to international classification to athletes with a realistic medal chances at the upcoming Paralympic games and those athletes on the Paralympic pathway.

There are several international classification opportunities worldwide, applications to attend these opportunities must be submitted to WPA by Athletics Australia. These opportunities can be viewed here. 

Attendance at these opportunities will be at the attendee’s own expense.

Please contact the Paralympic Pathways Lead if you wish to attend an international classification opportunity overseas.

An athlete must have an IPC licence in order to obtain an international classification. Information on who needs an IPC license and how to obtain one is listed below.

If you have a current IPC license you will appear on the WPA Classification Master list for NPC – AUS. This master list will also tell you whether you are classified for Track or Field (or both) and when you will be required to have this classification reviewed.

Please contact the Paralympic Pathways Lead if you have questions regarding international classification.

1. Any athlete attending international classification (New or Review Status)

2. Any internationally classified athlete intending on competing internationally *

3. any internationally classified athlete wishing to have their results recognised on the WPA Rankings List 

*In most circumstances only athletes with a current international classification are eligible to compete internationally.

Any new athlete seeking an WPA Licence must complete the following steps:

Send copies of the below via email to steve.caddy@athletics.org.au     

• Copy of passport photo page

• Recent head shot photo  

• Completed Medical Diagnostics Form and supporting medical documents (PI & VI) or TSAL Form (II) as per the International Classification instructions.

• Make a $30 licensing fee payment via bank transfer to Australian Athletics (please confirm account details when contacting AA).

• Electronically Signed IPC Eligibility Form (link provided when applying)

Once all of the above steps are complete, the athlete's license will be processed.

All internationally classified athletes will be emailed by Australian Athletics prior to the end of the calendar year with a request to RENEW their WPA license. Athletes will be required to complete the following steps:

1. Provide a response to the email as to whether they would like a WPA license for the following season or not (following two consecutive years of license inactivity an athlete will automatically be retired from the IPC system).

2. Make a $30 licensing fee payment via bank transfer to Australian Athletics (please confirm account details when contacting AA).

The process of multi-class scoring is iterative – an explanation of the current system can be found below. As our national championships offer event/class combinations that are not competed at the major benchmark events, we have limited data to create a scoring system that recognises all classes across an event equitably. In some situations, athletes on the participation pathway or non-Paralympic International pathway will take out the title of National Champion but that does not impact on a Paralympic pathway athletes’ selection onto BME teams.

BASELINE provides a simplified way for athletes, administrators and coaches to compare performances in multi-class events across all athletes with an eligible classification.

BASELINE uses a base time / distance / height in each class for each contestable event and measures this as a percentage against the individual athletes performance to generate a percentage score. 

Australian Athletics may change or amend the BASELINE guidelines and associated resources (including base performances) at any time.

BASELINE is now the scoring system both Underage and Open events at the Australian National Championships and the Australian National Cross Country Championships. Para Athletes for Cross Country are scored off the 1500m tables. Times for Cross Country are rounded up to the nearest second as World Athletics TR19. 

Selection of Base Performances

Base performances are determined using the following priority protocol:

• The base performances will be either the official World Record or

• The number one World Ranked performance, if quicker / higher / further than an existing base performance.

• In the case where a World Record or number one ranked performance is not available the base performance will be generated using one of the following methods;

• The base performance of the next available preceding classification within the same classification system group.

• Relative to past performances at Australian National Championships.

• Determined by the AA Paralympic Pathways Lead and the AA Competitions Manager

The following official published records and rankings will be utilised:

• WPA Track and Field World Records and Rankings for Paralympic Events or

• World Records and Rankings for non-Paralympic events

There are several differences in the World Athletics and World Para Athletics method of determining BME team eligibility.

The purpose of the AA High Performance Meets is to provide able-bodied athletes with an opportunity for a high level of competition on Australian soil and the ability to achieve ranking points as required to obtain able-bodied BME team selection.

Secondly, the AA High Performance Meets provide an opportunity for the AA Paralympic Program to showcase our Paralympic Event Groups.

Each Paralympic Event Group will focus on one key HP meet annually. Please see the event calendar for further details.

[accordion 4 content] The AA High Performance Meets are entered via invitation. Invitations to compete at these meets are at the discretion of the Paralympic Pathways Lead and General Manager - High Performance in consultation with Event Group Coaches. Athletes eligibility will be considered based on the below information:

1. Paralympic Pathway event / classes only.

2. Discretionary selections will take into consideration athletes performances since the beginning of the current BME selection policy.

3. Where there is a limit to the field size, priority will be based on an athlete’s ability to medal at the current BME.

Invited athletes will include, in priority order:

1. NASS athletes

2. Those on the Paralympic Pathway (inclusive of World Championships Disciplines) showing likelihood of achieving the current BME nomination standards.

3. Athletes identified by Event Group Coaches as having potential to make a team in the next 1-3 years.

We encourage coaches and athletes to reach out to the Event Group Coaches to discuss where you currently sit on the Paralympic Pathway and how to get more involved.

We currently feel the best opportunities to compete against the best in the world is to get to meets across Australia, and find quality squads to train with.

While there are several Grands Prix and other Para events around the world, guaranteeing a quality field can be difficult.

We acknowledge the need for athletes to be able to travel and compete well when it counts and will look to put on touring opportunities for the appropriate Pathway groups in some form in the future.

The international competition opportunities for Paralympic Pathway athletes are developing as the Paralympic movement grows internationally. We will keep looking for quality, event group specific opportunities for both Pathway and HP athletes.

If athletes wish to attend any of the WPA Grand Prix, they can do so at their own cost – however entrants must have an international Paralympic committee (IPC) license, international classification, and be entered via their NSO (Australian Athletics).

Please visit the WPA Approved Meet Calendar for further information.

There are two reasons why this may have occurred;

1. The performance you are referring to was not an Australian Athletics WPA Sanctioned Meet. For a full list of those meets please visit the WPA Approved Meet Calendar for further information.

2. The performance you are referring to was not submitted by Australian Athletics. WPA Rankings are based on the submissions of each NSO when an athlete performs at a WPA Sanctioned Meet. Sometimes we miss events/results. If you feel you are missing a result please contact the Paralympic Pathways Lead.

This will not affect your chances of being selected for a BME Team, but we recommend that you inform the Paralympic Pathways Lead any time you achieve the AA nomination / selection policy standards.

There are three reasons why this may have occurred:

1. The performance you are referring to was not an Australian Athletics WPA Sanctioned Meet. For a full list of those meets please visit the WPA Approved Meet Calendar for further information.

2. The performance you are referring to did not meet the anti-doping requirements necessary for a Regional / World record to be ratified.

3. The correct documentation required to ratify a Regional / World record was not provided to WPA within the required time frame.

For further information on Regional and World Record requirements and applications please see the WPA Rules and Regulations (pages 254 to 260).

There are three reasons why this may have occurred:

1. You achieved the record at an event that is not recognised for national records or with a classification status that is not eligible (i.e. review).

2. The Australian Athletics National Para Records are updated twice annually – your record may be awaiting release in the next update.

3. Your record application form was incomplete, incorrectly submitted and / or not received by Australian Athletics' competitions department.

Australian Athletics are currently reviewing the capture and management of National Records. This review will encompass the eligibility of records, the record application process and the publication of records as they are achieved. Further information will be made available following the completion of this review.

Records are a great way to celebrate our athletes’ performances. Whilst a record does not always correlate to the Paralympic Pathway we want to ensure that when a record is set, then it is recognised.

All records, whether national / regional / world must be submitted to the AA competitions department  along with all the required documentation completed and signed off by the appropriate judges, referees and administrators.

For national record eligibility, forms and claim processes please click here.

For regional / world record eligibility, forms and claim processes please click here. 

The talent identification process is multifaceted, and we will use the following methods:

1. Performance data including times / distances / heights in training and the progression of these

2. Results data including progression, and international performance comparison

3. Event Group Coach recommendation based on detailed knowledge of classification profiles, international event progression and technical elements of the event.

4. Understanding of athletes coaching set up, quality of daily performance environment, and support network.

We encourage both athletes and coaches to communicate regularly with our Event Group Coaches. The more they know you, the more they can support you.

Event Group Coaches will want to know things such as:

• training and competition results and reflections;

• season plans and weekly training schedules;

• coaching and support network; and

• technical models.

As part of our broader para athletics strategy we want more coaches coaching para athletes at the Pathway level. We encourage you to consider contacting coaches who coach the event group -not necessarily the classification.

To find out more about available coaches in your area we encourage you to link in with our Event Group Coaches, or head over to find a coach at Australian Athletics.

It is important you know about your impairment so you can help the coach adjust training and drills to suit you. The coach doesn’t need to be an expert in your impairment, they need to be an expert in the event group and in you.

As part of our broader para athletics strategy we want more coaches coaching para athletes at the Pathway level. We encourage all coaches to take on para-athletes. Coaching a Para athlete can challenge your creativity, and the adaptability coaches who coach para athletes learn has great implications across their squads.

We strongly encourage you to connect with one of our Event Group Coaches and they can help you and may be able to provide mentoring opportunities for you.