Read our full guide to all the athlete classifications used to ensure fair competition in the London 2012 Paralympics." /> We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. To see our content at its best we recommend upgrading if you wish to continue using IE or using another browser such as Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome. Accessibility links Skip to articleSkip to navigationAdvertisement Telegraph.co.uk Thursday 15 November 2012 London 2012 Olympics HomeParalympicsScheduleMedalsSport GuidesPicture GalleriesVenuesCountriesSport HOT TOPICS: Paralympic magic moments Paralympic medal map Classifications explained 50 best images Olympic medals London City Guide Paralympics 2012: classifications explainedRead our full guide to all the athlete classifications used to ensure fair competition in the London 2012 Paralympics. Paralympic athletics: the Right StuffPhoto: AFP By Telegraph Sport 1:57PM BST 24 Aug 2012 What is classification? Classification helps to define which athletes are eligible to compete in each of the sports. It also helps to ensure a level playing field by grouping athletes into classes based on their ability to perform a certain activity. How are athletes' classifications defined? Every athlete competing at the Games has gone through an evaluation, jordans shoesconducted by authorised technical officials called "classifiers", who are appointed by the international governing body of that particular sport. It is a long-term and in some cases ongoing process which takes place at all major events, before and during competition. How does it work? Classifiers assess the athlete's impairment and how it impacts on their ability to perform certain functions in the sport. After each evaluation the athletes are assigned a sport class. Is there a medal for each classification? No. In some cases athletes from different classifications will compete for the same medal as the sport's governing body has decided their particular impairments place them at around the same level of ability. The results are determined by a points system, known as Raza. What is Raza? A mathematical formula is applied to each athlete's throw or jump distance to calculate a points score. The athlete with the highest score wins, meaning the athlete with the least impairment does not receive an unfair advantage. The algorithm was established by tracking a number of athletes' performances over a range of years.
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