Introduction to Standards

Athletics is a sport which has something to offer most people. It provides an opportunity for exercise to help maintain health, the chance to compete with a range of other people of similar ability (whatever that level is) the opportunity for those lucky few to excel and to compete at the highest levels, and for social interaction at all levels.

The more competitive individuals will be looking to progress within the sport, improving their race positions and improving their performances, times and distances, and looking forward towards competing to a higher level or Standard. Standards are used widely within sport to by providing a benchmark of performance (‘I am a level x’) and a motivation and inspiration (‘but I want to be level y’).

Standards are used for a number of purposes:

To show achievement (‘I am an x standard athlete’)
To provide inspiration (‘but I want to be a y standard athlete’)
To determine applicability (‘anyone working at or above this level has potential in this sport’)
To assist in the selection for various squads and teams

Standards vary in their level of achievement: the world record; Paralympic qualifying standards; national and regional squad standards; the standard required to show an ‘aptitude’ for the sport, such that an individual would, with application, be likely to be able to compete to a reasonable level and enjoy the sport.

To show an ‘aptitude’ in athletics, with little or no training background, the following standards on the attached document apply:

Parallel Success Introduction to Standards - [99 KB]

As the individual progresses within athletics and starts to look forward towards competing at major championships, then attaining the Standards required for selection to the Disability World Class Programme and then selection standards would apply. And once the individual is competing at the top level, then knowledge of the performance standard of the best in the world would apply. Below is an example of how Standards can be use to provide inspiration to the athlete, to monitor progress and to assess potential. These are the Standards a young male 100m wheelchair racer could use:

Aptitude, having done some P.E. but with little if any training in the sport 30.0 secs (220%)

After a two seasons, raising the quantity and quality of training 20.0 secs (145%)

World Class Talent (an U17 athlete may be selected to join a UKA programme) 18.00 secs (130%)

International selection (e.g. 2008 Paralympic Selection Standard) 14.55 secs (106%)

Men’s T54 Classification 100m World Record 13.76 secs (100%)

The percentages indicate the steps between the different stages of development, relative to the world record, and top class performance...... in London 2012 or beyond?

Note: the impairment groups described above relate to the IPC Classification system thus:

Ambulant – more severe leg impairment - T35,36,37 F35,36,37

Ambulant – VI, arm or below knee amputee, mild CP, dwarf - T11,12,13,38,44,46 - F11,12,13,38,40,44,46

Ambulant – more severe leg impairment - T34,53,54 - F33,34,53-58

Ambulant – more severe leg impairment - T33,52 -F32,51,52

Marie Yates, Senior Coordinator - Disability & Policy

UKA, Athletics House, Central Boulevard,

Blythe Valley Park, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 8AJ

Phone: 0121 713 8462 or 07912 070624

Email: parallel-success@uka.org.uk

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