Editing Paralympic Games (section)

==Alleged cheating==
{{Main|Cheating at the Paralympic Games}}
After the [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney games]], a [[Spain at the Paralympic Games|Spanish]] basketball player alleged that several members of the gold medal-winning Spanish basketball team with intellectual disabilities (ID) did not have disabilities. He claimed that only two athletes out of the twelve-member team met the qualifications of an athlete with an intellectual disability.<ref name=cheating2>{{Cite news|title=Cheating shame of Paralympics|last=Slot|first=Owen|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2001-02-03|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2998162/Cheating-shame-of-Paralympics.html|access-date=2010-04-07|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222162456/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2998162/Cheating-shame-of-Paralympics.html|archive-date=2011-12-22|url-status=live}}</ref> A controversy ensued and the [[International Paralympic Committee]] (IPC) called on the Spanish National Paralympic Committee to launch an investigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/Media/Press_Releases/2000_11_27_a.html |title=IPC Calls For Full Investigation|access-date=2010-04-07|date=2000-11-27|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060118062536/http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/Media/Press_Releases/2000_11_27_a.html |archive-date = 2006-01-18}}</ref> The investigation uncovered several Spanish athletes who had flouted the ID rules. In an interview with the president of the federation that oversees ID competition, Fernando Martín Vicente admitted that athletes around the world were breaking the ID eligibility rules. The IPC responded by starting an investigation of its own.<ref name=cheating2/> The results of the IPC's investigation confirmed the Spanish athlete's allegations and also determined that the incident was not isolated to the basketball ID event or to Spanish athletes.<ref name=cheating2/> As a result, all ID competitions were suspended indefinitely.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/Media/Press_Releases/2001_03_09_a.html |title=IPC Suspends INAS-FID from Membership|access-date=2010-04-07|date=2001-03-09|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041224162629/http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/Media/Press_Releases/2001_03_09_a.html |archive-date = 2004-12-24}}</ref> The ban was lifted after the 2008 Games after work had been done to tighten the criteria and controls governing admission of athletes with intellectual disabilities. Four sports, swimming, athletics, table tennis and rowing, were anticipated to hold competitions for ID athletes at the [[2012 Summer Paralympics]].<ref name=cheating>{{Cite news|title=Cheating does happen in the Paralympics|last=Grey-Thompson|first=Tanni|date=2008-09-11|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/2798515/Cheating-does-happens-in-the-Paralympics-Paralympics.html|access-date=2010-04-07|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828224222/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/2798515/Cheating-does-happens-in-the-Paralympics-Paralympics.html|archive-date=2012-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Re-Inclusion of Athletes with Intellectual Impairment in Paralympic Sports |last=Van de Vliet |first=Peter |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |date=2009-12-15 |url=http://www.paralympic.org/export/sites/default/Sport/Classification/2009_12_15_Memo_IPC_Membership_ID_Athlete_Reinclusion_FINAL.pdf |access-date=2010-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605163054/http://www.paralympic.org/export/sites/default/Sport/Classification/2009_12_15_Memo_IPC_Membership_ID_Athlete_Reinclusion_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=June 5, 2011 }}</ref>

The Paralympics have also been tainted by steroid use. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, three powerlifters and a German basketball player were banned after having tested positive for banned substances.<ref name=cheating/> This was a decrease in comparison to the ten powerlifters and one track athlete who were banned from the 2000 Games.<ref name=steroids>{{Cite magazine|title=Paralympians can do the same thing as Olympic athletes-including cheating|publisher=CNNSI.com|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=2002-03-06|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/2002/03/06/paralympics_cheating_ap/|access-date=2010-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828002849/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/2002/03/06/paralympics_cheating_ap|archive-date=2008-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref> German skier Thomas Oelsner became the first Winter Paralympian to test positive for steroids. He had won two gold medals at the [[2002 Winter Paralympics]], but his medals were stripped after his positive drug test.<ref>{{cite web|title=Skier Fails Drug Test |last=Maffly |first=Bryan |publisher=Salt Lake 2002 Paralympics |date=2002-03-13 |url=http://saltlake2002.paralympic.org/ |access-date=2010-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605042933/http://saltlake2002.paralympic.org/ |archive-date=2010-06-05 }}</ref> At the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, [[Sweden at the 2010 Winter Paralympics|Swedish]] curler [[Glenn Ikonen]] tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for six months<ref>[http://www.paralympic.org/news/anti-doping-rule-violation-swedish-wheelchair-curler Anti-Doping Rule Violation of Swedish Wheelchair Curler] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316004137/http://www.paralympic.org/news/anti-doping-rule-violation-swedish-wheelchair-curler |date=2014-03-16 }}, [[International Paralympic Committee]] (IPC), May 4, 2010</ref> by the IPC. He was removed from the rest of the curling competition but his team was allowed to continue. The 54-year-old curler said his doctor had prescribed a medication on the banned substances list.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Winter Paralympics 2010: Wheelchair curler's positive drug test mars closing ceremony|last=Davies|first=Gareth|publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited|work=The Telegraph|date=2010-03-21|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/7494715/Winter-Paralympics-2010-Wheelchair-curlers-positive-drug-test-mars-closing-ceremony.html|access-date=2010-05-03|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828224228/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/7494715/Winter-Paralympics-2010-Wheelchair-curlers-positive-drug-test-mars-closing-ceremony.html|archive-date=2012-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Swedish wheelchair curler suspended for use of an illegal drug |last=Little |first=Lyndon |publisher=Canwest Publishing Inc. |work=The Vancouver Sun |date=2010-03-19 |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Swedish+wheelchair+curler+suspended+illegal+drug/2703907/story.html |access-date=2010-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424033136/http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Swedish%2Bwheelchair%2Bcurler%2Bsuspended%2Billegal%2Bdrug/2703907/story.html |archive-date=2010-04-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Another concern now facing Paralympic officials is the technique of "[[boosting (doping)|boosting]]". Athletes can artificially increase their blood pressure, often by self-harming, which has been shown to improve performance by up to 15%. This is most effective in the endurance sports such as [[Paralympic cross-country skiing|cross-country skiing]]. To increase blood pressure athletes will deliberately cause trauma to limbs below a spinal injury. This trauma can include breaking bones, strapping extremities in too tightly, and using high-pressure compression stockings. The injury is painless but it does affect the athlete's blood pressure.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Feel-bad story of the day: Paralympians appear to be cheating|work=The National Post|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=2010-03-17|url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/feel-bad-story-of-the-day-paralympians-appear-to-be-cheating|access-date=2018-12-25|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181225193021/https://nationalpost.com/sports/feel-bad-story-of-the-day-paralympians-appear-to-be-cheating|archive-date=2018-12-25|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another potential concern is the use of [[gene therapy]] among Paralympic athletes. All Paralympic athletes are banned from enhancing their abilities through [[gene doping]], but it is extremely difficult to differentiate these concepts.<ref name="Calgary">Wolbring, G. (2008).  Oscar Pistorius and the future nature of Olympic, Paralympic and other sports.  SCRIPT-ed, 5(1). {{doi|10.2966/scrip.050108.139}}.</ref> [[World Anti-Doping Agency|The World Anti-Doping Agency]] (WADA) is currently researching both gene doping and gene therapy, in part to discern the boundary between the two closely related concepts.<ref name="WADA">{{cite web |publisher=World Anti Doping Agency |date=October 2009 |title=Gene Doping |url=http://www.wada-ama.org/en/Science-Medicine/Science-topics/Gene-Doping/ |access-date=2013-09-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121094012/http://www.wada-ama.org/en/Science-Medicine/Science-topics/Gene-Doping/ |archive-date=2009-11-21}}.</ref>

The IPC have been working with WADA since 2003, to ensure compliance with WADA's anti-doping code among its Paralympic athletes.<ref name="PlayTrue">{{cite magazine |publisher=World Anti-Doping Agency |date=2008 |magazine=Play True |issue=3 |title=Levelling the Playing Field |url=http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/Resources/Publications/PlayTrue_Magazine/PlayTrue_2008_3_Levelling_the_Playing_Field_EN.pdf |access-date=2012-04-13 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529042027/http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/Resources/Publications/PlayTrue_Magazine/PlayTrue_2008_3_Levelling_the_Playing_Field_EN.pdf}}</ref> The IPC has also promised to continue increasing the number of athletes tested at each of its Games, in order to further minimize the possible effect of doping in Paralympic sports.<ref name="PlayTrue"/> Mandatory in- and out-of competition testing has also been implemented by the IPC to further ensure all of its athletes are performing in compliance with WADA regulations.<ref name="PlayTrue"/>

Having sent samples for forensic analysis, the IPC found evidence that the [[Doping in Russia|prevalent doping by Russian athletes]] was in operation at the [[2014 Winter Paralympics]] in Sochi.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite news|title=The IPC suspends the Russian Paralympic Committee with immediate effect|publisher=IPC |date=August 7, 2016|url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-suspends-russian-paralympic-committee-immediate-effect|access-date=November 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207035019/https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-suspends-russian-paralympic-committee-immediate-effect|archive-date=2017-12-07|url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 August 2016, the IPC's Governing Board voted unanimously to ban the entire Russian team from the [[2016 Summer Paralympics]], citing the [[Russian Paralympic Committee]]'s inability to enforce the IPC's Anti-[[Doping in sport|Doping]] Code and the World Anti-Doping Code which is "a fundamental constitutional requirement".<ref name="ReferenceB"/> IPC President [[Philip Craven|Sir Philip Craven]] stated that the Russian government had "catastrophically failed its Para athletes".<ref>{{Cite news|title=The IPC decision on the membership status of the Russian Paralympic Committee|publisher=IPC |first1=Philip |last1=Craven |date=August 7, 2016 |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decision-membership-status-russian-paralympic-committee-0 |access-date=November 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-date=2017-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828203613/https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decision-membership-status-russian-paralympic-committee-0}}</ref> IPC Athletes' Council Chairperson and [[Canadian Paralympic Committee|CPC]] Member [[Todd Nicholson]] said that Russia had used athletes as "pawns" in order to "show global prowess".<ref>{{Cite news|title=The IPC decision on the membership status of the Russian Paralympic Committee|publisher=IPC |first1=Todd |last1=Nicholson |date=August 7, 2016|url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decision-membership-status-russian-paralympic-committee |access-date=November 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828210654/https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decision-membership-status-russian-paralympic-committee|archive-date=2017-08-28|url-status=live}}</ref>