Over 30 Japanese athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics, or are still vying for their spots, have yet to receive their international classifications due to the ongoing pandemic and potentially could be ruled out of competing this summer, Kyodo News learned Sunday.
Para-sports bodies said the athletes, including those who have won gold medals at previous Paralympics, have not found out which categories they will compete in, and it is likely many will not be classified prior to the games' start.
Athletes' disabilities are classified for the Paralympics to ensure fair competition. In athletics, this results in the men's 100 meters being split into 16 different categories.