Effect of the Athletes' Origin and Type of Impairment on Participation and the Likelihood of Winning a Medal in the Paralympic Games

ObjectiveThis 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. DesignWe analyzed competition data and athlete biographies web scraped from the International Paralympic Committee's website (www.Paralympic.org) ResultsIn some sports, athletes with one origin or type of impairment were overrepresented. For example, 76% of Para-snowboarders had an acquired impairment. Furthermore, 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 (odds ratio: 1.71, P < 0.01, odds ratio: 3.69, P = 0.002, and odds ratio: 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. For example, athletes with an acquired spinal cord injury win proportionally fewer medals in Para-powerlifting. ConclusionsUnderstanding 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.