The effect of the athletes' origin and type of impairment on participation and the likelihood of winning a medal in the Paralympic Games.

Abstract

This study investigated whether the origin (acquired or congenital) and type of impairment affect the participation and likelihood of winning a medal in different sports at the Paralympic Games. We analyzed competition data and athlete biographies web scraped from the International Paralympic Committee's website (www.Paralympic.org). In some sports, athletes with one origin or type of impairment were overrepresented. E.g., 76% of Para-snowboarders had an acquired impairment. Further, mixed-effects logistic regression analyses showed that the origin of impairment had no effect on the likelihood of winning a medal in most sports. However, athletes with a congenital impairment had a significantly higher likelihood of winning a medal compared to those with an acquired impairment in Para-athletics, Para-alpine skiing, and Para-biathlon (OR: 1.71, p < 0.01, OR: 3.69, p = 0.002, and OR: 3.70, p = 0.016, respectively). Athletes with a given origin-type of impairment combination also may have an advantage or disadvantage in some sports. E.g., athletes with an acquired spinal cord injury win proportionally fewer medals in Para-powerlifting. Understanding potential effects of the origin and type of impairment on participation and medaling chances in Paralympic sports can help shape the development of Para-sports, and support talent identification.