Paralympics: Get to know Team Singapore's representatives in Tokyo

SINGAPORE - The Republic will be represented by 10 athletes at the Paralympics, which begin in Tokyo on Tuesday (Aug 24) evening.

Here is what you need to know about them:

Sport: Archery
Event: Women's individual compound open
Paralympic career: Second outing (2016)

Sport: Athletics
Event: Men's shot put - F40
Paralympic career: Second outing (2016)

Sport: Cycling (road & track)

Event: Men's B time trial (road), men's B 1,000m time trial (track), men's B 4,000m individual pursuit (track)
Paralympic career: Debutant

Sport: Equestrian
Event: Individual test - Grade I, individual freestyle test - Grade I, team test to music
Paralympic career: Fourth outing (2008, 2012, 2016)

Sport: Equestrian
Event: Individual test - Grade I, individual freestyle test - Grade I, team test to music
Paralympic career: Third outing (2012, 2016)

Sport: Equestrian
Event: Individual test - Grade II, individual freestyle test - Grade II, team test to music
Paralympic career: Third outing (2012, 2016)

Sport: Powerlifting
Event: Women's -45kg
Paralympic career: Debutant

Sport: Swimming
Event: Women's 50m backstroke (S2), women's 100m backstroke (S2)
Paralympic career: Fourth outing (2008, 2012, 2016)

Sport: Swimming
Event: Women's 100m breaststroke (SB12), women's 100m butterfly (S13)
Paralympic career: Debutant

Sport: Swimming
Event: Men's 50m freestyle (S7), men's 50m butterfly (S7), men's 400m freestyle (S7)
Paralympic career: Debutant

Classification systems for Paralympians Classification systems were introduced at the Paralympics to minimise the impact of impairment on sport performance and the systems vary from sport to sport.

Here are the classification systems for the sports that Singapore will be represented in:

There are two events - W1 and Open. W1 is for athletes with an impairment in all four limbs that use a wheelchair.

Open comprises athletes like Nur Syahidah Alim who have an impairment in their leg and compete standing or resting on a stool for balance control, or have a strong limitation in their trunk and legs and compete in a wheelchair.

The sport class consists of a prefix "T" or "F" and a two-digit number. The prefix T stands for track, marathon and jumping events, and F stands for field.

The first number indicates the type of impairment, while the second shows the level of impairment. In general, the lower the second digit, the higher the level of impairment.

Shot putter Muhammad Diroy Noordin (F40) is in a class for athletes of short stature.

Athletes compete in C (cycling), H (handcycling), T (tricycle) and B (tandem) classes.

The B class - which Steve Tee is in - is for athletes with vision impairments who race on a tandem with a sighted pilot (Tee's pilot is Ang Kee Meng). B1, B2 and B3 athletes compete in one event.

There are five grades based on different medical profiles. Lower grades indicate more severe activity limitations.

Athletes in Grade I, such as Laurentia Tan, have severe impairments affecting all limbs and the trunk, while athletes in Grade V have a mildly impaired range of movement or muscle strength or a deficiency of one limb or mild deficiency of two limbs. Gemma Rose Foo is also in Grade I while Maximillian Tan is in Grade II.

There is only one sport class in powerlifting although athletes compete in different weight classes. Nur Aini Mohamad Yasli is in the up to 45kg category.

There are 14 classes. The class names consist of a prefix "S" or "SB" and a number. The prefixes stand for the strokes and the number indicates the classes.

S stands for freestyle, butterfly and backstroke, SB for breaststroke, SM for individual medley.

The greater the number the more functional ability the athlete has.

S1/SB1-S10/SB10 is for athletes with a physical impairment and S11/SB11-S13/SB13 is for athletes with a vision impairment.

Yip Pin Xiu races in S2, Toh Wei Soong in S7 while Sophie Soon races in S13 and SB12.