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Classification is an essential aspect of parasport. However, the exact roles and responsibilities of parasport administrators related to classification have not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to understand how administrators in national sport organizations support classification. Six administrators participated in semistructured interviews. Critical realist analysis generated three themes: knowledge of classification, classification context, and administrators’ roles related to classification. Knowledge of classification speaks to the importance of administrators’ understanding classification, as well as their reliance on experiential learning and mentorship to understand the classification system and their role within it. Classification context refers to the tension within parasport resulting from competing uses of classification: Some organizations use classification to facilitate participation, while others reserve classification for high-performance athletes. Resultingly, administrators’ roles are responsive to the unique needs of their organization. Altogether, this work describes how administrators may act as knowledge brokers in the parasport context.

Previous studies have reported that adults with Down syndrome (DS) may perform less physical activity (PA) and more sedentary behavior (SB) than adults without DS (non-DS). We investigated differences in PA and SB profiles between DS and non-DS when utilizing newly developed population-specific activity-intensity cut points. Ninety adults (DS: 40; non-DS: 50) had PA and SB measured by accelerometry. Data were scored with cut points for DS and non-DS. Results from 2 × 2 (Condition × Sex) analysis of covariance indicated adults with DS had less sedentary but more moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) time, more ≥1-min but less ≥10-, ≥30-, and ≥ 60-min sedentary bouts, and shorter ≥1- and ≥10-min sedentary bouts than non-DS. DS also had more ≥10-min MVPA bouts but shorter ≥10- and ≥20-min MVPA bouts than non-DS. DS performed more MVPA and less SB than non-DS when scoring data with population-specific cut points.

This qualitative study explored the experiences of coaches and physical education teachers, collectively referred to as physical activity (PA) professionals, when coaching individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism. Furthermore, this study explored the educational resources utilized by PA professionals and their needs in terms of increasing knowledge and skills. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 PA professionals active across various contexts (segregation, integration, and inclusion). The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Coaching individuals with ID and/or autism involves considering multiple factors including their physical abilities and behavioral characteristics, the expectations of parents/caregivers, and coach competence. PA professionals experienced complexities of coaching individuals with ID and/or autism and challenges at interpersonal, sport-specific, and environmental/policy levels expressing a need for more tailored education, hands-on experience with the population, and peer support. These findings can guide the development of tailor-made educational tools for coaches to enhance sport participation for individuals with ID and/or autism.

Purpose: To compare the pacing profiles of elite track athletes with intellectual impairments (II) and those with Down syndrome (DS) in 400- and 1,500-m track events. Methods: The pacing data of 67 elite runners participating in the final 400-m (both genders) and 1,500-m (only males) track events of the Global Games (2023) were analyzed. Runners competed in two classes: a class for runners with II (without DS) and a separate class for runners with DS. Results: For the 400-m event, male and female runners in both classes decelerated from the first segment (0–200 m) to the second segment (200–400 m) as the time main effect was significant (p < .001); however, the pacing strategy for both genders differed between the II and DS class as reported by the significant Gender × Class interaction effect (p < .001). The running velocity over the two segments of the race decreased more significantly for the II runners without DS. There was also a significant interaction effect for the 1,500-m race (p < .001). The DS runners show a more significant drop in running velocity over the split times of the race and with more varied fluctuations compared with the II runners without DS. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant differences in pacing between 400- and 1,500-m elite runners with II and with and without DS. Elite runners with DS run at an overall slower velocity and follow a significantly different pacing pattern compared with runners with II without DS. Our findings show that runners with DS are less able to regulate their exercise intensity over the race than runners with II without DS.

The aim of this study was to provide a comparative analysis of running responses in official matches in different sport classes of football players with cerebral palsy considering the contextual factors of geographical competition and level. One hundred ninety-one international footballers with cerebral palsy divided according to the tournament geographical competition and level participated in this study. Higher medium- and high-intensity match-running responses were found for the Asia-Oceania tournament in comparison with the American, European, and world competitions. Similarly, players from the World Cup performed more moderate accelerations and decelerations compared with the players in the America’s Cup, and players competing in the Asia-Oceania region realized more moderate decelerations than in the America’s Cup. Thus, classifiers and coaches may consider the tournament level due to possible differences in the match’s physical demands regarding the class status allocation and the physical preparation for those competitions.