Disability classification in judo

The blind classifications are based on medical classification, no functional classification.{{cite book|author=Joseph P. Winnick|title=Adapted Physical Education and Sport|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_aY-HejIEgC|access-date=21 August 2012|date=27 October 2010|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=978-0-7360-8918-0|page=51}}

File:B1 class.png|Visualisation of functional vision for a B1 competitor

File:B2 class.png|Visualisation of functional vision for a B2 competitor

File:B3 class.png|Visualisation of functional vision for a B3 competitor

Beyond the level of vision impairment, research done at the Central Institute on Employment Abilities of the Handicapped in Moscow has found differences in functional capabilities based on differences in visual acuity. This does not play a significant role in judo.{{cite book|title=Trends and issues in Winter Paralympic sport : proceedings of Winter Paralympic Experts Congress -4th Paralympic Congress - organized by the IPC and NAPOC March 7-8, 1998 Nagano, Japan|editor-first=Kyonosuke|editor-last=Yabe|location=Nagano, Japan|publisher=Nagano Paralympic Organizing Committee|year=1998|chapter=On the Issue of Sports Classification of the Blind and Partially Sighted|first=Roman|last=Tolmatchev|pages=71–72}}

The sport's classification system is governed by the International Blind Sports Association.{{cite book|author=Ian Brittain|title=The Paralympic Games Explained|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GjzSxVknv9oC&pg=PA39|access-date=21 August 2012|date=4 August 2009|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-47658-4|pages=39}}

{{As of|2012}}, people with visual disabilities are eligible to compete in this sport.{{cite book|author1=Michael Hutson|author2=Cathy Speed|title=Sports Injuries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAjAn8cWd1gC&pg=PA439|access-date=19 August 2012|date=17 March 2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-953390-9|pages=442}}{{cite web|page=10|access-date=19 August 2012|url=http://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/120716152047682_ClassificationGuide_1.pdf|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|title=Layman's Guide to Paralympic Classification|location=Bonn, Germany|archive-date=9 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309134129/https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/120716152047682_ClassificationGuide_1.pdf|url-status=dead}} The sport is also open to blind people with hearing loss.

In 1992, the International Paralympic Committee formally took control of governance for disability sport.{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/disabilitysport0000depa/page/43 43]|title=Disability and sport|first1=Karen P|last1=DePauw|first2=Susan J|last2=Gavron|location=Champaign, IL|publisher=Human Kinetics|year=1995|isbn=0873228480|oclc=31710003|url=https://archive.org/details/disabilitysport0000depa/page/43}}

Classes for the sport are based on weight, not based on functional disability. B1, B2 and B3 athletes compete with each other in their own weight divisions. Men have seven weight divisions and women have six.

B1 competitors, those with the most severe vision problems, have a red 7" diameter circle attached on both sleeves. This identifier makes it easier for referees to spot B1 competitors and give them certain allowances (for example, B1 athletes cannot be expected to see the competition area boundaries).{{cite web|title=2012 Games: Judo - Classification|url=http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/judo/classification/|publisher=London 2012 Paralympic Games|access-date=22 August 2012|archive-date=25 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825044419/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/judo/classification/|url-status=dead}} Competitors who are deaf have a small blue circle on their judogi's bib on the back in the right hand corner.

{{globalize|section|date=August 2012}}

For Australian competitors in this sport, the sport is not supported by the Australian Paralympic Committee.{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/sports-amp-classification/summer-sports/summer-sports|location=Homebush Bay, New South Wales|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|title=Summer Sports|access-date=19 August 2012|year=2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815080227/https://www.paralympic.org.au/sports-amp-classification/summer-sports/summer-sports|archive-date=15 August 2012}} There are three types of classification available for Australian competitors: Provisional, national and international. The first is for club level competitions, the second for state and national competitions, and the third for international competitions.{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/classification |title=What is Classification? |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |access-date=30 July 2012 |location=Sydney, Australia}} At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, on the spot classification required that classifiers have access to medical equipment like Snellen charts, reflex hammers, and goniometers to properly classify competitors.{{cite book|title=New Horizons in sport for athletes with a disability : proceedings of the International VISTA '99 Conference, Cologne, Germany, 28 August-1 September 1999|volume=1|first1=Gudrun|last1=Doll-Tepper|first2=Michael|last2=Kröner|first3=Werner|last3=Sonnenschein|author4=International Paralympic Committee, Sport Science Committee|location=Oxford (UK)|publisher=Meyer & Meyer Sport|year=2001|isbn=1841260363 |oclc=48404898|chapter=Organisation and Administration of the Classification Process for the Paralympics|pages=379–392}}

The sport was first played as a medal sport at the 1988 Summer Paralympics.

At the 1992 Summer Paralympics, blind people were eligible to participate, with classification being run through IBSA, with classification being done based on weight.{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/disabilitysport0000depa/page/128 128]|title=Disability and sport|first1=Karen P|last1=DePauw|first2=Susan J|last2=Gavron|location=Champaign, IL|publisher=Human Kinetics|year=1995|isbn=0873228480|oclc=31710003|url=https://archive.org/details/disabilitysport0000depa/page/128}} At the 2000 Summer Paralympics, 10 assessments were conducted at the Games. This resulted in 1 class change.{{cite book|page=152|title=Benchmark games : the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games|first1=Richard I |last1=Cashman|first2=Simon|last2=Darcy|author3=University of Technology, Sydney. Australian Centre for Olympic Studies|location=Petersham, N.S.W.|publisher= Walla Walla Press in conjunction with the Australian Centre for Olympic Studies University of Technology, Sydney|year=2008}}

Judo competition at the London 2012 Summer Olympics will be held at ExCeL Exhibition Centre from 30 August to 1 September. There will be 13 medal events, and each country may only enter one athlete per event. The total number of athletes per country allowed is six men and five women. Being the host nation, Great Britain is allowed another two competitors (one male, one female).{{cite web|title=Judo - About|url=http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/judo/about/|publisher=London 2012 Paralympic Games|access-date=22 August 2012|archive-date=25 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825045024/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/judo/about/|url-status=dead}}

For the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, the International Paralympic Committee had a zero classification at the Games policy. This policy was put into place in 2014, with the goal of avoiding last minute changes in classes that would negatively impact athlete training preparations. All competitors needed to be internationally classified with their classification status confirmed prior to the Games, with exceptions to this policy being dealt with on a case-by-case basis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/160404093217097_Classification+Guide+-+updated+version_0.pdf |title=Rio 2016 Classification Guide |date=March 2016 |website=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=July 22, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816144150/https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/160404093217097_Classification+Guide+-+updated+version_0.pdf |archive-date=August 16, 2016 }} In case there was a need for classification or reclassification at the Games despite best efforts otherwise, judo classification was scheduled for September 4 to 5 and September 6 at the Paralympic Village.

Going forward, disability sport's major classification body, the International Paralympic Committee, is working on improving classification to be more of an evidence-based system as opposed to a performance-based system so as not to punish elite athletes whose performance makes them appear in a higher class alongside competitors who train less.{{cite web|access-date=30 July 2012|url=http://www.paralympic.org/Classification/History|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|location=Bonn, Germany|title=Classification History}}

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{{Disability sports classification}}

Category:Parasports classifications

Category:Forms of judo