A recent rise in the number of people cheating at Paralympic sporting events has given rise to serious concerns about the way that athletes are qualified to enter and the nature of the games themselves.
It’s recently come to light that a number of athletes are exaggerating the length and depth of their physical impairments in order to gain another hand during sporting events. By making false claims about their physical ability, they can enter competitions and convince other contenders of a false sense of security.
Paralympic sporting events across the world are split up into different categories to ensure that athletes can play on a level playing field. Oftentimes athletes are separated by the nature of their disability to make sure that everybody has similar conditions with which to participate. If an athlete exaggerates these physical restrictions, it’s entirely possible for them to gain a massive lead, if not outright win the competition, thanks to superior physical ability.
Understandably, this has raised a number of concerns about the nature of Paralympic sporting, with many saying it is grossly unfair and denying many athletes the fair opportunity to compete for medals and prizes. If these allegations are true, we feel that it is a very profound shame, and then it will ultimately lower the number of people who are willing to participate in sporting events, as many will simply feel it’s not worth it anymore.
As support workers Gold Coast, we love seeing the latest generation of athletes aim to compete in some of the most prestigious Paralympic sporting events around the world. However, we also understand why they would be frustrated at such instances of cheating, and it is sad to hear that competition is more important to some people than anything else.
If the current system is being exploited and abused in the current format, then it does need to be overhauled.
However, we do need to make sure that we are careful when redesigning systems and redefining types of disabilities because it could be exclusionary to certain groups if we’re not careful. It’s a very delicate balance to try and walk, but if there are people who are deliberately exaggerating physical injuries to be put into a more advantageous class of athlete, then the system does need refining and examining further.
We cannot allow people to manipulate the system to gain the best chances at success because that is not in the spirit of good competition and fairness. The Paralympics have to be fair sporting events for everybody, and if that means we need to redefine different types of disability and be harsher on participants who exaggerate physical conditions, then that must be the way forward. We cannot allow authentic, gifted Paralympians to be denied their chance for success because somebody has chosen to act in an immoral fashion. We are very disappointed if these allegations are true, and we challenge anyone who could consider doing this to think very carefully about the damage they could do to the Paralympic community.