Paralympics GB deny cheating claims over athletes being mismatched on eve of Rio 2016 Games
PARALYMPICS chiefs are adamant Britain are not cheating their way to medals.
There have been concerns in the build-up to the Rio Games that some Paralympic track and field athletes are being deliberately mismatched.
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Britain’s T37 200 metres runner Bethany Woodward, who has cerebral palsy, suggested the British squad had manipulated the system.
But Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “Each one of our athletes has had a confirmed classification.
“That means their international classification has been looked at from a medical and functional point of view.
“We have nobody going into the Games, in our view, who doesn’t have the appropriate classification for their class.
“Bear in mind, no two athletes are going to be the exact same in terms of their impairment and functionality.
“We are here to win medals, but we’re absolutely here to win medals both within the letter and spirit of the Paralympics.
“That’s through professionalism and being absolutely appropriate, being better and more proficient at things.”
International Paralympic Committee boss Sir Philip Craven defended the system that classifies disabled athletes to ensure fair competition.