Prioritised actions to reduce the threat of cheating classification in Para sport: A Delphi Study

The Paralympic Games have enjoyed a recent acceleration in profile, commercial value, and investment. Meanwhile, attempts to cheat the classification process has emerged as the greatest threat to the integrity of Para sport. Despite the classification process being essential to Para sport, the phenomenon of cheating classification remains significantly underexplored. Using a three-round Delphi survey, a panel of 29 individuals with firsthand experience of the classification process prioritised four actions to reduce the threat of cheating classification. The actions related to: (1) the content of compulsory education that athletes should receive prior to classification; (2) video recording the classification process; (3) longer bans for cheating classification; and (4) support for classifiers who suspect that cheating has occurred. A discussion followed on optimising the execution of each action – with references to the International Paralympic Committee’s revised Classification Code becoming operational – and concludes that these actions should be implemented systematically, not in isolation.