Paralympic Classification Rules Enforcement

Hold the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) accountable for classification rules enforcement

Fundraiser by: David Berling, an MH5 para-cyclist from the United States who has competed at the World Cup and World Championship level since 2017.

The vision and mission of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are as follows:

Vision: to make for an inclusive world through sport.

Mission: to lead the Paralympic Movement, oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and support members to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence.

These IPC ideals are protected by the IPC Athlete Classification Code and each International Federation’s classification rules and are blatantly being compromised every time those rules are not strictly enforced.

Classification doping, or the manipulation of the classification system to ensure an athlete’s competitive advantage, should not be condoned as each infraction decays those very ideals adopted and supported by the IPC. Any allowed circumvention from the existing rules makes a mockery of the Para sport competition and punishes properly classified athletes, who make great sacrifices, of time and money, to train and prepare for competitions. All athletes deserve an impartial classification system, where the governing body enforces the rules and regulations already established and published, thus ensuring fair competition.

Currently, neither athletes nor their National Paralympic Committees are permitted to protest the incorrect classification designations of their competitors. When an athlete with greater physical function is misclassified into a class that provides him/her a competitive advantage, this cannot be challenged by those unfairly hindered by that decision. This oppressive system needs to be reviewed, overhauled, and replaced with a system that allows for athlete protests and includes a "checks and balances" structure along with periodic audits. A reformed classification system will return legitimacy to Paralympic sports and serve as a foundation for promoting participation growth.

This issue also affects eligible disabled US military veteran athletes who aren’t competing at a world competition level:

Classifiable US military veteran athletes can qualify for monthly stipends through the Department of Veterans Affairs by staying fit and achieving certain performance standards within a variety of sports. However, the required standards are developed using the results at world-level competitions. Athletes cheating the classification system to compete in a more disabled category at world events are cheating all properly classified competitors, including all the US military veteran athletes trying to achieve those standards required to get a monthly stipend.

An initial legal analysis has already been completed and paid for, and the probability of successfully contesting the IPC is likely. This Go Fund Me is to raise the capital required to process a claim and to prepare for and conduct the necessary oral hearings to challenge the current classification system. Any monies raised above the amount required for this case will be used to establish an account for future athlete injustices.