Abstract
The purpose of this study was to employ a kinematic analysis to determine the extent to which the Wheelchair Fencing Classification (WFC) can reliably predict and classify wheelchair fencers’ trunk functional ability, during WFC functional classification assessment condition (without supporting bar) and competition condition (with supporting bar). Participants were 14 world-class wheelchair fencers from Hong Kong, with 9 WFC category A and 5 WFC category B fencers. Participants performed wheelchair fencing actions (i.e., lunge and fast-return) in two conditions (i.e., standard WFC testing condition and wheelchair fencing in competition condition). The maximum trunk velocity and maximum trunk angle (i.e., range of movement) were motion-captured and analyzed by kinematic analysis. The results showed that WFC classification significantly correlated with the trunk functional ability in the WFC testing condition, but not in the competition condition. The functional ability indices were significantly higher in the competition condition than that in the WFC testing condition for fencers of both category A and B. The trunk functional ability of category A fencers was significantly higher than that of category B fencers in a WFC testing condition, but such patterns were not observed in the competition condition. We concluded that the WFC test might not be fair and reliable enough to classify fencers according to the impact of their impairments on wheelchair fencing competitive performance.
Highlights
Use of kinematic analysis among world-class wheelchair fencers and in disability sport allows disabled individuals to participate in competition under fair and equitable condition (IWFC, 2008; Tweedy, 2002; Tweedy & Vanlandewijck, 2011)
Consistent with our hypotheses, we found a significant relationship between Wheelchair Fencing Classification (WFC) classification and trunk functional indices in the WFC condition (ρ= .54-.76; p < .01); WFC classification was only related to maximum fast-return angle in the competition condition (ρ= .69; p < .01)
Inconsistent with our hypothesis, Wilcoxon Signed-Ranked tests showed that all trunk functional ability indices, including maximum lunge velocity and angle, and maximum fast-return velocity and angle, were higher when being assessed in the competition condition than in the WFC condition, with this pattern being observed across two disability categories (A and B)
Summary
Use of kinematic analysis among world-class wheelchair fencers and in disability sport allows disabled individuals to participate in competition under fair and equitable condition (IWFC, 2008; Tweedy, 2002; Tweedy & Vanlandewijck, 2011). While the test battery exhibited good reliability and validity in predicting running performance, it was only tested among non-disabled individuals, meaning it may not be suitable for classifying the functional ability of disabled individuals (Beckman & Tweedy, 2009) It remains unclear how well the existing classification systems reflect the functional ability of disability players in Paralympics summer sports (Chow, Chae, & Crawford, 2000; Chow, Kuenster, & Lim, 2003; Chow & Mindock, 1999; Frossard, Smeathers, O'Riordan, & Goodman, 2007). The use of supporting bar is commonly applied to other disability sport events (e.g., wheelchair shot-put) for assisting players’ balance (Chow, Chae, & Crawford, 2000; Chow, Kuenster, & Lim, 2003), it may compensate the effect of lower functional ability (i.e., as ascertained by the WFC) on performance. The WFC tests 2 and 4 require the athlete to move their centre of gravity to the point of losing balance; in a competitive scenario, this point may be extended by gripping the supporting bar
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