The ITU Paratriathlon Classification Research Group has met in San Diego to discuss and identify specific action items for the research ITU is carrying out for Paratriathlon classification.

ITU Paratriathlon Committee Chairperson Grant Darby, ITU Paratriathlon Committee Head of Classification Marguerite Christophers, Paratriathlon Committee member Jon Beeson joined coach Scott Murray, researcher’s Joan Murray and Peter Harsch and ITU staff liaison Eric Angstadt in the US for this meeting.

As the IPC mandates through the Classification Code, the classification systems in each IF must be evidence based and sport specific and the purpose of this group is to obtain the necessary data, information and results that can help outline the fundamental structure of this Sport Specific Evidence Based Classification System for Paratriathlon. For more on the IPC’s classification, please click here.

The meeting included a visit to the Naval Military Centre in San Diego, where some lab facilities were visited for potential cooperation. The project’s duration is not defined, as several research elements may continue beyond the current season, but the group is seeking to achieve a number of feasible tests and the relevant data analysis to set the work frame for the next months.

The ITU has committed to support the development of paratriathlon for over 15 years. The sport was officially accepted onto the programme for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in 2010, and ITU’s membership of the International Paralympic Committee was ratified at the 15th IPC General Assembly in Beijing last year. In 2011, 72 athletes representing 18 different national federations competed in the Paratriathlon world championship races in Beijing.

For more on Paratriathlon, please click here.