Athletics at the 2000 Summer Paralympics comprised a total of 234 events, 165 for men and 69 for women. Athletes were classified according to the extent and type of their disability.
Classes 42-46: amputees and those with other disabilities (les autres)
Classes 51-58: athletes with spinal cord disabilities; these classes competed while in wheelchairs
Class numbers were preceded by a "T" for track events, an "F" for field events, and a "P" for the pentathlon. Lower respective class numbers corresponded to more severe disability. An exception to this classification scheme arose for athletes with severe cerebral palsy competing in field events; there were no F32 events, so athletes from this category instead competed in class F51 against athletes with spinal cord disabilities.[1]
Australian track athletes (L-R) Neil Fuller, Stephen Wilson, Tim Matthews and Heath Francis after their gold medal win in the 4 x 400 m T46 relay, 2000 Summer Paralympics
Action shot of Australian track athlete Lisa Llorens during her silver medal winning run in the 100 m T20 at the 2000 Summer ParalympicsAustralian track athletes Katrina Webb (left) and Alison Quinn (right) celebrate with their Australian fans in the crowd over their medal wins in the 100 m T38 at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, Day 07. Quinn won gold and Webb won silver in this event.
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