Enlightening is the section where you can learn about the different para-athletics specialities during the World Para Athletics Championships – PARIS’23. Today, let’s take a look at the specifics of the long jump.
From July 8 to 17, 2023, 18 long jump competitions will take place in front of the presidential stand of the Charléty Stadium. In front of the classification number, you will find the letter T, which means Track for track events.
For the long jump, only the “standing” disability categories participate. A total of 10 disability categories will be present during the competition:
- Visually impaired: T11 (blind with guide), T12 (very partially sighted with or without guide), T13 (partially sighted without guide)
- People with intellectual disabilities : T20
- Impairments of cerebral origin: T36 (problems with balance and/or coordination), T37 (impairment of one side of the body), T38 (slight limitations of the lower limbs, one side of the body or the whole body).
- Amputee or equivalent athletes: T47 (above-elbow amputee or equivalent)
- Athletes with fitted lower limb(s): T63 (absence of a lower limb above the knee), T64 (absence of a lower limb below the knee)
During a contest, athletes run a run-up and must jump into the sandbox without “biting the plate”. This red plate measures 10cm and the athlete must not put any part of his foot on it to validate his jump. If the jump is validated, the judge raises a white flag. If it is missed, it is a red flag. A jump is measured from the plate to the beginning of the track left in the sand by the athlete.
Pour les athlètes malvoyants des catégories T11 et T12, on dit qu’ils sautent à la chaux. The athlete is accompanied by a guide who tells him when to jump. A jump is measured from the last footprint left on the lime to the beginning of the footprint left in the sand by the athlete.
In total, they have three attempts to place in the top 8 to have three more attempts to determine the final ranking.
All these classes aim to make competitions fair. The idea is to avoid that the least handicapped always wins.
COME AND ADMIRE THE LONG JUMP AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
