How does the percentage system work, and which sport classes are there?

Question

Accepted Answer

Para nordic races are organized the same way as able-bodied races: an athlete skis a course, gets a time and is ranked. Athletes with different impairments normally compete in one of three groups: sitting, standing or visually impaired. Depending on your impairment, your result within the group is calculated by factoring your race time by a percentage assigned to your sport class.

The sport classes on Nordiq Canada's Para nordic page are:

Standing: LW 2-9
Sitting: LW 10-12
Visually impaired: NS 1-3 (written B1-B3 in Nordiq Canada's classification policy and event guidelines)

Each category is a separate medal event. LW refers to winter sport athletes with a locomotor disability, and NS to athletes who are blind. The IPC and FIS regulate classification under the IPC Classification Code, and Nordiq Canada also has its own domestic classification policy. Para nordic skiers can also be integrated into able-bodied races, in the same category or as separate categories if there are enough athletes.