Para triathlon was contested at the Paralympic Games for the first time at Rio 2016
It is a multidisciplinary endurance sport that contains three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running.
Athletes with a physical or vision impairment race in three disciplines: 750m of swimming, followed by 20km of cycling and 5km of running.
Athletes may use a hand cycle, tandem bicycle or bicycle in the cycling portion of the event and wheelchairs are permitted on the running portion of the course.
Vision impaired athletes can race with a guide.
Athletes must be over 16 years old to compete at the National or International Level.
Hypertonia | Impaired Muscle Power |
Ataxia | Limb Deficiency |
Athetosis | Impaired Passive Range of Movement |
Vision Impairment |
ITU caters for two impairment groups – physical and vision. Para triathlon combines athletes with different types of physical impairments, so you might see an amputee competing against an athlete with cerebral palsy. The impact of each athlete’s impairment on the sport performance, however, is similar within each sport class.
There are nine sport classes in paratriathlon that compete in six medal events.
Athletes in the PTWC classes compete in combined events, with an interval start system per sport class. Both PTWC1 and PTWC2 classes compete in the same PTWC Medal Event. All the ambulant classes (PTS2-PTS5) compete in their own medal event and the three vision impaired classes (PTVI B1, PTVI B2 and PTVI B3) compete into the PTVI medal event.
ITU uses a points scoring system to define the Minimal Impairment Criteria for Para triathlon; PTS5 is the last impaired ambulant class.
For illustrated explanation please click on the button below.
PTWC 1-2: Wheelchair users. Athletes with limitations in lower (PTWC2) and upper limbs (PTWC1), using a handcycle for the cycling segment and a racing chair for the running segment.
PTWC1 |
This class includes the most impaired wheelchair users. Athletes must use a recumbent hand bike on the bike segment and a racing wheelchair on the run segment.
This class includes athletes with a severe degree of activity limitation resulting from impairments of, but not limited to, impairments of muscle power, range of movement, limb deficiency such as double above the knee amputees, unilateral high level above the knee amputation, severe spinal cord injuries resulting in quadriplegia or paraplegia, etc. |
PTWC2 |
Least impaired wheelchair users. Athletes must use a recumbent handcycle on the bike course and a racing wheelchair on the run segment; Includes athletes with comparable activity limitation and an impairment of, but not limited to: muscle power, limb deficiency, hypertonia, ataxia or athetosis. |
PT 2-5: Athletes with limitations in lower and/or upper limbs (lower class number means there are more limitations) who compete in (regular) cycling and running. Assistive devices such as prosthetic legs and/or bike modifications are regulated by the IF.
PTS2 |
This class includes athletes with a severe degree of activity limitation resulting from impairments of, but not limited to, limb deficiency, hypertonia, ataxia and or athetosis, impaired muscle power or range of movement.
Health conditions could include severe cerebral palsy, congenital hemiplegia, above the knee amputation, etc. In both bike and run segments, amputee athletes may use approved prosthesis or other supportive devices |
PTS3 |
This class includes athletes with a significant degree of activity limitation resulting from impairments of, but not limited to, limb deficiency, hypertonia, ataxia and or athetosis, impaired muscle power or range of movement.
Health conditions could include athletes with significant spastic hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, double below knee amputation, combined affected upper and lower limbs such as loss of muscle power in an arm and a unilateral below the knee amputation, etc. In both bike and run segments, amputee athletes may use approved prosthesis or other supportive devices. |
PTS4 |
This class includes athletes with a moderate degree of activity limitation resulting from impairments of, but not limited to, limb deficiency, hypertonia, ataxia and or athetosis, impaired muscle power or range of movement.
Health conditions could include a moderate spastic cerebral palsy, complete brachial-plexus on one arm, through the shoulder amputation, unilateral below the knee amputation, etc. In both bike and run segments, amputee athletes may use approved prosthesis or other supportive devices. |
PTS5 |
This class includes athletes with a mild degree of activity limitation resulting from impairments of but not limited to, limb deficiency, hypertonia, ataxia and or athetosis, impaired muscle power or range of movement.
Health conditions could include athletes with below the elbow dysmelia, clubfoot, through the wrist amputation, mild spastic cerebral palsy, partial brachial-plexus on one arm, through the ankle amputation, etc. In both bike and run segments, amputee athletes may use approved prosthesis or other supportive devices. |
PTVI 1-3: athletes with vision impairment, subdivided into three classes by the severity of vision loss (visual acuity and/or visual field).
PTVI B1 |
Athletes who are totally blind, from no light perception in either eye to some light perception
No light perception. Visual acuity poorer than LogMAR 2.60 |
PTVI B2 |
Athletes who are more severe partially sighted athletes
Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1.50 to 2.60 (inclusive) and/or visual field constricted to a diameter of less than 10 degrees. |
PTVI B3 |
Athletes who are less severe partially sighted athletes
Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1 to 1.40 (inclusive) and/or visual field constricted to a diameter of less than 40 degrees. |
To be eligible to apply for a national classification, athletes must:
Athletes who do not meet the list of criteria above may still be evaluated by the classifiers by prior arrangement. However, he/she will only receive a provisional class in order to facilitate them to compete this year.
This list includes active athletes who have been classified at national and/or international level. Click here to access the Masterlist.
Triathlon Ireland is the National Governing Body for para triathlon in Ireland. If you wish to get involved in para triathlon, please access the National Governing Body link below.
Governing Body | |
National | Triathlon Ireland |
International | World Triathlon |
summary
events