Paralympic Committees Extend Partnership

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has extended its partnership agreement with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for five and a half more years. That extension will take both organizations, which have been working together since 2006, beyond the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The ACSM is acknowledged to be one of the leading organizations in exercise sciences and sports medicine.

"I am delighted that we have been able to extend this partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine through to and beyond the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, " said IPC's Medical and Scientific Director Peter Van de Vliet. Over the last eight years we have enjoyed a fruitful partnership and I am confident in the coming years, this will continue as we identify how we can work together to advance in such areas as medical, sports science and anti-doping."

Collaborative areas the organizations have identified to work on include improvement of the dissemination of knowledge in safety, research, health, and performance of athletes who have impairments. This agreement also identifies areas of common interest, which will benefit both organizations.

Marissa Flanders, a freelance sports writer, quoted ACSM Vice President and IPC Sports Science Committee member, Walt Thompson, as saying, "Working together in great synergy, IPC and ACSM will help to drive the research agenda toward answering critical paralympic movement questions ranging from medicine to biochemistry. This is truly an historic alliance between two global and highly influential organizations."

Under the terms of the agreement, ACSM will deliver a symposium at October's VISTA conference, which will be held in Girona, Spain. The theme will be “Securing the future for young para-athletes."