The Paralympic Games will open this week "amid fears of widespread cheating as the authorities struggle to prove cases" of "intentional misrepresentation" in swimming, according to John Westerby of the LONDON TIMES. Great Britain’s athletics team will "also take to the track in Rio de Janeiro under a cloud after Bethany Woodward, a sprinter with cerebral palsy, withdrew from the squad alleging that athletes with less severe disabilities were being allowed to compete in her classification." But fears of "athletes cheating the system are greater in swimming," where the Int'l Paralympic Committee has recently investigated 16 cases of alleged intentional misrepresentation -- known simply as “IM” -- where athletes "exaggerate the extent of their disability during the classification process." The IPC was, however, "unable to find sufficient evidence to prove that cheating had occurred." IPC Medical & Scientific Doctor Peter Van de Vliet said, "Whether we like it or not, we have to prove intent to a standard that can be upheld against legal challenge. There is a significant concern of attempts from athletes to bypass the system. But the threshold to prove these cases beyond any reasonable doubt is very high." Swimming is "one of a number of sports presently overhauling its classification process and significant changes are expected in the next Paralympic cycle" (LONDON TIMES, 9/5).
CLASSIFICATION CONCERNS: In London, Taylor, Foggo & Gayle reported the possibility of Paralympic athletes "abusing the official classification" was raised by senior UK Athletics officials more than two years ago. British Athletics Performance Program Manager Mike Cavendish said in an internal email that "there were concerns some athletes were intentionally seeking to be placed in classes perceived as having less challenging opposition." UKA was "preparing to launch an inquiry into the classification of athletes following claims that some have been allowed to compete against those who are significantly more impaired." Cavendish said that the majority of athletes who had been entered into the wrong Paralympic classification had "done nothing wrong," but that others were "thought to have knowingly pursued classifications that they know to be incorrect, simply to gain a competitive advantage" (GUARDIAN, 9/4).
