Are Paralympic events 'fair'?

I don't fully understand how the Paralympic events are split up but I believe that they have many different classes for each event so you'll get the 100m freestyle for the severely disabled, the same event for the quite seriously disabled, same again for the pretty disabled etc all the way down to the 'you don't even deserve a blue badge now piss off back to work**' category.

With all class systems you will still have variations within the class so one athlete could be JUST below the cut off for 'severely disabled' and another JUST above the cut off for 'pretty disabled' so they both end up in 'seriously disabled' despite being quite a way apart.

Does that make them fair? Are the classes so well done that the variations are negligible or is there really quite a gulf between athletes in the same class?

Genuine question by the way, I enjoy watching the Paralympics but it's pretty damn hard to tell how disabled somebody is just by looking at them isn't it so unless you know what you're talking about its hard to really understand the differences in classes.

Oh and I don't think fair is the right word to use either but I can't really think of the word I'm actually after

Is Fired around?

* I know they're not the names of classes and not actually how they work but I thought I'd overly simplify it.

** That description is my attempt at taking the piss out of ATOS and not the people with a disability.

 

Jeremy Vine was talking yesterday on Radio 2 about how the cheating in the Paralympics is athletes making themselves look more disabled than they are so they are in a lesser category, must be a nightmare trying to classify it all.

 

I didn't think about that. As you say, must be an absolute nightmare logistically

 

A minefield I think.

I just tend to watch and enjoy myself.

 

Would be good if in the future the Paralympics and the Olympics were completely combined

 

I think they should run concurrently myself.

 

parrallel olympics. its not too much to assume that was the intention i guess. logistically however i can imagine its a ball ache getting venues and enough time in the day to do that .

 

The concept of 'fairness' in sport is a complex one.

Look at any track or swimming final and some competitors are more talented than others. Is it a fair race if Michael Phelps is in it - the most talented swimmer around. Is it a fair race when a runner like Mo Farrah who has more talent than any other takes part?
No matter how hard some runners or swimmers or runners train they are not going to beat the likes of Phelps and Farrah fairly.

The Paralympics are not 'fair' because all competitors do not start on the same level - but neither do the competitors in the Olympics.

 

Is the 100m fair? Usain Bolt is so much quicker than everyone else!

 

I reckon I would have a go at the wheelchair high jump. Looks fun.

 

They should make Bolt wear a parachute to slow him down.

 

Its probably not fair when one athlete or one country uses something that gives them an advantage that another athlete or country doesn't have. So all swimmers should have to wear the same swimsuits, goggles and hats or cyclists on the same bikes, then it is comes down to hard work and natural talent/physical ability and luck - all in roughly equal proportions.

Some people are better adapted to certain sports than others - for example, lots of good long distance athletes are from the Rift Valley. You could probably get the same physical adaptations in people from the Andes or Himalayas, but they haven't got the training methods or willingness to push themselves to the same levels to compete. The chances are though, none of us know the limits of our abilities and very few of us ever push ourselves hard enough to find out. Someone on here could have been Usain Bolt or Mo Farah, but would rather eat chips, drink beer and watch football!