Paralympics cycling C, T and H codes and rules explained at Paris 2024
Express Sport brings you the perfect guide to how competitors are categorised for cycling events at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
One of the most thrilling and crowd-pleasing sports at the Paralympics will be the cycling events. After a memorable Olympic Games in Paris, it's now time for the awe-inspiring Paralympians to step into the limelight.
Over the next few days, there will be an abundance of action for cycling fans to savour. The sport offers a broad range of disciplines and categories based on athletes' impairments, with handcycles, tricycles or bicycles all being utilised. Visually impaired athletes will compete on tandems with a sighted 'pilot'.
The qualifying impairments for Paralympic cyclists are as follows:
- Impaired muscle power
- Involuntary movements
- Impaired passive range of movement
- Muscle tension
- Limb deficiency
- Uncoordinated movements
- Leg length difference
- Vision Impairment
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Handcycle (H1-H5)
There are five classes in handcycling, with the lower number indicating more severe impairment. For instance, athletes in the H1 category lack any trunk (chest, abdomen, pelvis and back) or leg movement and have limited arm use, often due to spinal injuries.
Athletes classified in the H5 class compete from a kneeling position and can use their arms and trunk to propel the handcycle. Competitors in this category may have had leg amputations, paraplegia (inability to voluntarily move the lower parts of the body) or mild to moderate involuntary movements or uncoordinated movements.
Tricycle (T1, T2)
Tricycle athletes - unable to ride a bicycle due to balance issues or restrictions in pedalling caused by muscle tension, uncoordinated movements or involuntary movements - are placed into T1 or T2. The T1 class is for athletes with more significant impairments than those in the T2 category.
Cycling (C1-C5)
This category, divided into five classes, is for athletes who can use a standard bicycle with approved modifications. The classifications are determined by limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or range of motion and impairments affecting coordination, such as uncoordinated movements and involuntary movements.
C1 is assigned to athletes with the most severe limitations, while C5 is for competitors with minimum impairments.
Tandem
In this category, visually impaired cyclists race in tandem with a sighted cyclist (pilot) leading the way. This allows athletes with both mild and severe sight issues to compete against each other.
