Search Results (50)

Wheelchair tennis (WT) is a Paralympic sport designed for athletes with physical impairments. Assessing physical fitness characteristics using appropriate field-based tests and standardized protocols is essential for individualized training, injury prevention, and performance monitoring. However, there is currently limited information on which field-based tests are most suitable and how they should be applied in WT athletes, resulting in inconsistency across studies and practical use. Establishing a standard operating procedure (SOP) enables replicable, cost-effective testing routines that improve data consistency and comparability. We conducted a scoping review to synthesize the existing evidence on field-based physical fitness assessment in WT athletes and to propose a structured SOP for these tests. A comprehensive search was conducted in three electronic databases—NLM PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus—using predefined keywords and Boolean operators. The inclusion criteria were limited to peer-reviewed, English-language original articles focusing exclusively on field tests in WT athletes. Studies with other populations, reviews, and abstracts were excluded. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria. This scoping review identified various field tests assessing key fitness components, including cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, agility, and body composition. The most frequently employed tests were the 20 m sprint test, isometric handgrip test, spider test, Illinois Agility Test, and skinfold thickness. These findings highlight the lack of standardized fitness assessments in WT. The proposed SOP offers a practical step toward consistent, replicable, and relevant evaluation in these athletes. Full article

Emotional processes and sleep quality have become fundamental aspects of performance in Paralympic sports among elite and youth athletes. The objective of this study was to compare levels of depression, stress, anxiety, and sleep quality among youth and adult athletes with cerebral palsy (CP) belonging to the national CP Football team in Chile. A total of 10 adult and 12 youth national team athletes participated, completing the DASS-21, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaires. The athletes were competing in their respective categories at the 2024 Parapan American Games. A cross-sectional design was used to compare the parameters of depression, stress, anxiety, and sleep quality of youth and adult male athletes with CP of a national team selected to compete in a regional event. Significant differences were found where young athletes had lower levels of depression (χ² = 4.77, p = 0.02, OR = 11.0) and anxiety (χ² = 6.71, p = 0.01, OR = 16.5). Similar differences could be observed in favor of young athletes in sleep latency (p = 0.04; d = 0.34), bedtime (p = 0.02; d = 0.20), total hours of sleep (p = 0.04; d = 0.10), subjective sleep quality (p = 0.002; d = 0.56), and objective sleep quality (p < 0.001; d = 0.65). This study suggests that adult para-athletes from a national CP Football team exhibit higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to their youth counterparts. Additionally, objective and subjective measures show that adults experience poorer sleep quality. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions by psychological support teams, aiming to enhance athlete performance by promoting healthy habits that address these mental health challenges. Full article

The personality traits of top judo referees are crucial for fair decision-making in elite competitions, shaping the experience for athletes, coaches, and spectators. This study examines potential differences in personality traits among 63 referees from the World Judo Tour between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. Factors analyzed include completing the IJF Academy course Level 1, elite athlete status, number of officiated events, performance ratings, and participation in the Olympic or Paralympic Games. Our research shows that older referees tend to exhibit greater extraversion, whereas less experienced officials show lower levels of this trait. Referees with limited experience generally demonstrate higher agreeableness than their more experienced counterparts. Female referees and those with top performance ratings display greater conscientiousness than male referees. Completing the IJF Academy course is associated with lower neuroticism, while lower performance ratings are linked to higher neuroticism. Openness tends to decrease with increased officiating experience, with less experienced referees showing higher levels of this trait. In conclusion, competitive experience, training completion, and officiating tenure are associated with specific personality traits among judo referees, highlighting the importance of continuous training for effective officiating. The analysis of personality traits revealed no statistically significant differences between male and female referees in the dimensions measured by the BFI (Big Five Inventory). This indicates that the levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness were similar for both genders, with no significant variation in how these traits were expressed. Full article

The Olympic/Paralympic Games are world events that promote countries and their participants, and more particularly, those winning medals. The potential link between a country’s scientific productivity and its podium wins remains unknown for the Paralympic Games. This study aimed to (1) quantify the link between the production of Paralympic scientific articles and the medals won by countries during Summer/Winter Paralympic Games between 2012 and 2022, and (2) select the five most important articles published for all Paralympic sports. A bibliographic search of the Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases was conducted. From the 1351 articles identified, 525 fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The results showed a greater (7x) production of scientific articles relating to the Summer Paralympics compared to those relating to the Winter Paralympics. For the Summer Paralympics, there was a strong correlation (r = 0.79) between the number of medals and the number of scientific articles produced by a given country, while a low correlation (r = 0.12) was observed for the Winter Paralympics. Biomechanics-related articles represent almost 50% of the overall Paralympic publications. In conclusion, there is a strong link between scientific productivity and the number of medals won for the 2012–2022 Paralympic Games. Parasport Federations are strongly encouraged to promote the publication of more Paralympic research articles. Full article

Para-archery and para-shooting, two very popular adaptive shooting disciplines that have earned their place as major official events in the Paralympic Games, share some similarities, as well as distinctive features in terms of rules, physiological requirements, and equipment used. The International Paralympic Committee has a clear responsibility to ensure that all sports within its jurisdiction, including adaptive shooting, can achieve excellence in their respective fields. To achieve this, the conduct of well-designed studies and rigorous research is essential. Although some research has been conducted in this area, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation is still needed. Therefore, the present study aims to provide a thorough review and synthesis of existing research on adaptive shooting disciplines, identify strengths and gaps, and suggest future directions. Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology is leveraged and enhanced with bibliometric and policy analyses to review literature on adaptive shooting. Databases like PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, OvidSP, and EMBASE were searched, focusing on studies in adaptive shooting disciplines and analysing these findings through a blend of thematic and statistical methods. Twenty-four studies totalling 483 para-athletes (299 para-shooters and 184 para-archers) are included in this scoping review, focusing on a range of aspects, including physiological responses (n = 9), research design and measurement methods for evidence-based classification (n = 6), biopsychosocial aspects (n = 3), development of new methods and technologies (n = 4), kinematic and biomechanical assessment (n = 1), and epidemiology of injuries (n = 1). Seven articles focused exclusively on para-archery, thirteen exclusively on para-shooting, and four on both para-archery and para-shooting. In conclusion, the available literature on adaptive shooting disciplines is still very limited, especially regarding para-archery compared to para-shooting. This highlights the need for further research in many key areas to ensure a better understanding of the different disciplines and to provide appropriate support for para-athletes. Future research in para-archery and para-shooting should focus on technological innovations, biomechanical studies, and psychological support to enhance athlete performance and accessibility. Addressing the imbalance between the two disciplines, along with injury prevention and global participation, can drive the sports towards greater inclusivity and equity for para-athletes worldwide. Full article

Planning the medical services for the triathlon competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games was predicted to be challenging because of possible last-minute changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and abnormally high temperatures. Therefore, event planners organized and executed a disaster medical care plan, a plan for providing care during emergencies. Based on the basic medical plan for all venues provided by the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, planners for the triathlon venue prepared a medical care plan according to the CSCATTT principles: Command and control, Safety, Communication, Assessment, Treatment, Triage, and Transport. After the event, planners evaluated the number of COVID-19, heatstroke, and injury cases at the venue. The events were conducted without spectators in July and August 2022 because at the last minute, planners held the event without spectators. The triathlon competition involved 638 individuals, including athletes and staff. In total, 7 cases of injuries, 3 cases of mild heatstroke, and 13 other cases were reported, with only 2 requiring emergency transportation. No cases of COVID-19 were reported from the triathlon venue, including during the observation period after the event. This medical plan was effective in preventing heatstroke and COVID-19 cases during the big event. Efficiently and effectively responding to various situations is possible in a shorter period by planning large-scale medical services for such special circumstances according to CSCATTT, a principle of disaster medical care. Full article

The new particle formation (NPF) process is a significant source of atmospheric secondary particles, which has remarkable impacts on the regional air quality and global radiative forcing. Most NPF studies conduct their measurements at a single site, which can hardly provide information about the regionality of NPF events at large scales (>100 km). During the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, simultaneous measurements of particle number size distributions and NPF-associated precursors were conducted at a mountainous site close to the Winter Olympic Village in Chongli (CL), Zhangjiakou, and an urban site in Beijing (BJ) located 150 km southeast of the CL site. High NPF frequencies were observed at the CL (50%) and BJ (52%) sites; however, the fraction of concurrent NPF events was smaller than the results in other regions. In addition, the wind distributions exhibited distinct air mass origins at the two sites during the concurrent NPF events. Compared with the BJ site, the NPF growth rates were higher at the CL site due to higher levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and radiation. Surprisingly, the formation rates at the CL site were lower than at the BJ site, even with a higher sulfuric acid concentration and lower CS, which may be attributed to lower dimethylamine concentrations in the mountainous area. This study reveals that, although NPF events are commonly thought to occur on regional scales, their intensity and mechanisms may have significant spatial inhomogeneity. Further studies are required to reduce the uncertainty when expanding the mechanisms based on the urban conditions to regional or global scales in the models. Full article

Research overviews of and historiography on the attitude of the Catholic Church and theologians towards athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities assume that the Church and theologians have only very recently begun to interest themselves in this subject. Starting from John Paul II’s contribution to this field, and above all from his integral anthropological vision, this article assesses his position by comparing it with that of his two successors Benedict XVI and Francis. Especially the latter’s addresses and interviews and the official documents on sport issued by the Holy See during his pontificate are testimony to his special commitment to athletes with disabilities. The article also examines the history of the Holy See and studies its attention to athletes with a disability. The results of this inquiry are that papal interest in this field is not limited to, nor did it start with the pontificate of John Paul II. Instead, it dates from the very beginning of the modern phenomenon of sport, with Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century, continued by Pius XII and John XXIII. The latter’s speech to the participants of the first Paralympic Games in 1960 is the strongest indication of a pre-John Paul II affirmation of disabled sport. This points to the importance of taking a more nuanced position in the current debate, although it is clear that Pope Francis must be considered the champion of the Holy See’s commitment to the inclusion of athletes with a disability. Full article

Social integration is an essential part of the life of every human being, but for people with disabilities, there are many situations in which it is still very low. For instance, in sports and outdoor gaming, there is a barrier between players with and without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities play sports almost exclusively with disabled players, not only during official events such as Paralympic games but also in occasional sports groups, while the mixing of people with and without disabilities in sports activities is a key factor of social inclusion. In order to allow a person with motor-skill impairments to play on the same ground as their non-disabled peers, we developed a novel piece of Assistive Technology that lets a person with motor-skill impairments to control a system acting as a goalkeeper during a non-professional football match, with approximately the same performances as a goalkeeper without motor-skill impairments. This electro-mechanical system is composed of a three-meter-long metal guideline and a human-shaped dummy sliding along it. The system is equipped with a high-torque battery-powered direct-current motor and it is controlled by means of electronic boards and sensors to ensure safety and good usability also for players with severe mobility impairments. The results of a pilot testing demonstrated the robustness and high degree of usability of the system, enabling people with motor-skill impairments to competitively participate in matches with non-disabled peers. Full article

Para-rowing is a format of rowing practiced by people with different types of disabilities, thanks to adapted equipment set-ups and regulations. Para-rowing made its debut recently at the 2008 Paralympic Games. According to the mandate of the “International Paralympic Committee”, para-rowers should be enabled to pursue sporting excellence. Therefore, rigorous research is needed in terms of well-designed, high-quality studies. To the best of our knowledge, there are no systematic appraisals of the body of scholarly evidence in the field of para-rowing. As such, a scoping review enhanced by bibliometric analyses was carried out to provide a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge related to para-rowing for the perusal of practitioners and athletes. By mining eighteen major databases, 17 studies were retained in the present review. The included studies were found to focus on a range of aspects involving health, the etiology of injuries (n = 5), psychological and physiological responses (n = 5), performance, biomechanical analysis (n = 4), and new analytical approaches for kinematic assessments and predictions of mechanical outputs in para-rowers (n = 3). The scholarly community on para-rowing consists of 78 researchers, 16 (20.51%) of whom are highly interconnected. The most prolific author was Smoljanović T., from Croatia, with three items/documents. In total, 93.6% of scholars have authored one single document. Topological features indicated a highly fragmented and dispersed, poorly connected community characterized by a high number of clusters and a low strength of connections. In terms of publication years, the first scholarly article dates back to 2008, with four articles (23.5%) published in the current year, showing an increasing interest in this para-sports discipline. Finally, gaps in current research on para-rowing were identified in terms of overlooked topics, including sports nutrition, doping, and psychological aspects in para-rowers other than those with visual impairment. Full article

(1) Background: Paralympic women athletes in their training process go through a series of interrelated stages which are parallel to their evolutionary development, during which a wide variety of psychological, social, and biological factors will have an impact. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the sports training process of Spanish Paralympic women athletes (social, sporting, psychological, technical–tactical factors, physical condition, as well as barriers and facilitators) who had won at least one medal (gold, silver, or bronze) in the 21st century Paralympic Games (from Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2020). (2) Methods: The research involved 28 Spanish Paralympic women athletes who had won at least one medal at a Paralympic Games in the 21st century. An interview of 54 questions grouped into 6 dimensions (sport context, social context, psychological, technical–tactical, physical fitness, and barriers and facilitators) was used. (3) Results: Coaches, as well as families, were essential in the sport development of Paralympic athletes. In addition, most women athletes recognized that psychological aspects were of vital importance, as well as working on technical–tactical aspects and physical fitness in an integrated way. Finally, the Paralympic women athletes highlighted that they had to face numerous barriers, mainly financial challenges and issues with visibility in the media. (4) Conclusions: Athletes consider it necessary to work with specialists to control emotions, increase motivation and self-confidence, as well as to reduce stress and anxiety and manage pressure. Finally, the training process and sporting performance of Paralympic women athletes are conditioned by several barriers, including economic, social, architectural, and disability barriers. These considerations can be taken into account by the technical teams working with Paralympic women athletes, as well as by the competent bodies, to improve the sports training process of these athletes. Full article

This study aims to identify an overall keyword network by drawing on core keywords in Paralympic studies and analyzing the relationships. It also aims to provide information on the changes in Paralympic study trends through a time series analysis to understand change, according to the application of a new classification (evidence-based classification). This study made a bibliographic list of 1613 studies by collecting studies published between 2003 and 2022 using keyword network analysis (KNA). By refining to exclude unsuitable studies, 1404 studies and 6414 keywords were used for the analysis. As a result of analyzing entire Paralympic studies performed between 2003 and 2022, Paralympic studies were revealed to be on the rise. The entire Paralympic studies ascertained that the areas of study were mainstream and centered on the top three keywords: athlete; performance; and classification. Secondly, as a result of analyzing Paralympic study trends in a time series manner, based on 2017 when a new classification was applied, studies related to physical impairment centered on the top two keywords, athlete and performance, were mainstream in Section 1 (2003–2016). Olympic Games, performance, and wheelchairs formed detailed study areas. In the Paralympic studies in Section 2 (2017–2022), the relevant studies centered on the top two keywords, athletes and performance, were mainstream. Parasport, disability, and classification were ascertained to form detailed study areas. Through all this, the changed trend in the keyword Paralympics was confirmed. The results of this study are meaningful in that they can contribute to the expansion of the Paralympic areas of study and invigoration by exploring core keywords and providing relevant information based on the significant change point in time, including entire Paralympic study trends. Full article

Changing medical classification into the functional one in disabled cross-country skiing means that the athlete’s predispositions and performance abilities most of all determine the final result in cross-country skiing. Thus, exercise tests have become an indispensable element of the training process. The subject of this study is to present a rare analysis of morpho-functional abilities in relation to the implementation of training workloads during the training preparation for a Paralympic champion in cross-country skiing when she was close to her maximal achievements. The study was performed to investigate abilities evaluated during laboratory tests and how they relate to performance outcomes during major tournaments. An exercise test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer was performed three times a year on a cross-country disabled female skier over a 10-year period. The morpho-functional level which enabled the athlete to compete for gold medals in the Paralympic Games (PG) is best reflected in the results obtained by her in the tests in the period of direct preparation for the PG and confirms optimal training workloads in this time. The study showed, that the VO_2max level is presently the most important determinant of physical performance achieved by the examined athlete with physical disabilities. The aim of this paper is to present the level of exercise capacity of the Paralympic champion based on the analysis of the results of the tests in relation to the implementation of training workloads. Full article

In the current cross-media ecosystem, which is characterized by technological disruption, the prominent relationship between public service media (PSM), sport and cultural citizenship is undergoing a profound transformation. Currently, PSM can utilize its myriad platforms, channels and services to transcend the constraints of linear broadcasting, find new ways of advancing diversity and overcome the perception of disability sport as a media ‘blind spot’. Through content analysis, the objective of this research has been to examine the agenda diversity on Twitter offered during the timeframe of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games by 15 PSM corporations in Europe. This comparative analysis of 6072 tweets demonstrated the uneven attention devoted by European PSM to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. In the aggregate, 39.42% (n = 2398) of the messages focused on the event, although significant imbalances can be observed among the different media organizations, both in terms of the volume of coverage and the attention given to the various Paralympic disciplines and protagonists. From a theoretical perspective, the article adds to the existing literature on the nexus between media, sport and cultural citizenship, signaling the need for PSM to reimagine its social media strategies to counteract the limited visibility of different societal groups and to adequately contribute to enhancing cultural citizenship in the digital age. The results can also inform media practitioners. Despite that the conditioning factors and trade-offs linked to the commercial nature of social networking sites cannot be overlooked, PSM should take into account the importance of promoting inclusion and observe audiences’ increasing interest in disability sport. Full article

As a venue for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the National Alpine Skiing Center is located on Xiaohaitou Mountain in Beijing’s Yanqing district, where strong winds occur frequently. To reduce the impact of strong winds on the competition, windbreak fences have been installed in the ski area. To determine the effect and stability of the windbreak fences beside the ski slope of the alpine skiing center, the numerical simulation method was used to study the performance of 3.7 m, 4.7 m and 7.9 m high wind barriers. According to the actual meteorological conditions, two kinds of inlet wind speeds of 10 m/s and 33 m/s were set. The results show that the ambient wind speed is maximum only in a small area near the opening through the windbreak fence. When the ambient wind speed is 10 and 33 m/s, the wind speed in most drainage areas behind the barrier is below 5 and 15 m/s, respectively, which is significantly lower than the wind speed of incoming flow, and the wind protection effect is obvious. When the wind speed at the entrance height is 10 m and 33 m/s, the wind-proof effect is obvious. The wind-proof effect of 7.9 m high windproof bars is better than that of 3.7 and 4.7 m high windproof bars. The wind pressure at the top of the fence is the highest, and the wind pressure also increases when the wind speed increases. Under the action of maximum wind speed, the stability of a 7.9 m high storm fence is low. Full article