S13 (classification)

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S13, SB13, SM13 are disability swimming classifications used for categorising swimmers based on their level of disability.

History

The classification was created by the International Paralympic Committee and has roots in a 2003 attempt to address "the overall objective to support and co-ordinate the ongoing development of accurate, reliable, consistent and credible sport focused classification systems and their implementation."[1]

Sport

This classification is for swimming.[2] In the classification title, S represents Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly strokes. SB means breaststroke. SM means individual medley.[2] Jane Buckley, writing for the Sporting Wheelies, describes the swimmers in this classification as having: "Swimmers who are the most sighted but are considered to be blind according to the IBSA B3."[2]

Getting classified

Internationally, the classification is done by the International Blind Sports Association.[3] In Australia, to be classified in this category, athletes contact the Australian Paralympic Committee or their state swimming governing body.[4] In the United States, classification is handled by the United States Paralympic Committee on a national level. The classification test has three components: "a bench test, a water test, observation during competition."[5] American swimmers are assesed by four people: a medical classified, two general classified and a technical classifier.[5]

Competitions

For this classification, organisers of the Paralympic Games have the option of including the following events on the Paralympic programme: 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, and 4x100m Freestyle Relay and 4x100m Medley Relay.[6]

Records

In the S13 50 m Freestyle Long Course, the men's world record is held by Oleksii Fedyna and the women's world record is held by Yvonne Hopf.[7] In the S13 100 m Freestyle Long Course, the men's world record is held by South Africa's Charles Bouwer and the women's world record is held by Canada's Valerie Grand-Maison.[8]

Competitors

Swimmers who have competed in this classification include Dmytro Aleksyeyev,[9] Kelley Becherer[9] and Charl Bouwer[9] who all won medals in their class at the 2008 Paralympics.[9]

American swimmers who have been classified by the United States Paralympic Committee as being in this class include Eric Chausse, Natalio Abar, and Blake Adams.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Paralympic Classification Today". International Paralympic Committee. 22 April 2010. p. 3. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Buckley, Jane (2011). "Understanding Classification: A Guide to the Classification Systems used in Paralympic Sports". Retrieved 12 November 2011. 
  3. ↑ "IBSA Medical Classification". International Blind Sports Association. Retrieved 3 October 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Classification Information Sheet". Australian Paralympic Committee. 8 March 2011. p. 3. Retrieved 17 November 2011. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "U.S. Paralympics National Classification Policies & Procedures SWIMMING". United States Paralympic Committee. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Swimming Classification". The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  7. ↑ "IPC Swimming World Records Long Course". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  8. ↑ "IPC Swimming World Records Long Course". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  10. ↑ "USA NATIONAL CLASSIFICATION DATABASE". United States Paralympic Committee. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
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