ITU and USAT change paratriathlete rule for blind athletes- what do you think?

jburbatt

Came across this interesting article today on the ITU/USAT rule change that affects blind paratriathletes:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/pac...thlon.html

What do you think of the change?

Michele Cellai

I would want to know where the rule makers got the idea that seeing shades of light is an advantage in racing over those that see no light. Is there is research data to support the change? If not, how can they arbitrarily decide to "level the playing field"? From a legal standpoint for disabilities, I would think that legally blind means legally blind.

I suspect the athletes that see shades of light will need to prove that the glasses put them at a a disadvantage. It is always a bad idea for unimpaired people to make rules for the impaired without significant input/ guidance. Doesn't sound like there was any open discussion.

Nemo Brauch

I have no very little experience to know if there is any advantage to being "legally" blind vs totally blind. I know that my Mom is legally blind without glasses, but can see OK with correction (not great- but OK)- so obviously the term is used to cover a wide spectrum of sight abilities.

I can see how there is a perceived need to level the playing field, but it doesn't seem that the rule makers used any real input from those in the sight impaired community to come up with the right set of rules. I hope they can figure it out and get it right.

Al Truscott

How do you level the playing field for "wheel chair" athletes? There, people compete with different levels of spinal cord injury. An athlete with a lumbar injury will have an advantage, I suspect, over an athlete with a thoracic injury. There's no way to compensate for THAT.

penlynwilson

I have a friend who competed in the 2000 Paralympics in track cycling (he is sighted and was on the front, his stoker - on the back - is completely blind). They came home with a gold and, I think, a bronze. His partner did talk about how some of the teams who were not 100% blind had an advantage over them since she couldn't see. One team was a husband/wife. The sighted wife was on the front and the "blind" husband was on the back. But, the husband could see enough to give tactical advice to the wife. It really wasn't fair.

However, as is stated in the article, you adapt to your abilities (or disabilities depending on where you stand). I can't imagine being "legally blind" but able to see shades/shapes and having to wear blackout shades during a race. It would completely change the ability to race. I don't necessarily think this is appropriate due to safety issues, but also don't know how to fix it unless you break people into groups by "blindness."