From potential to podium: what we still don't know about talent identification and development in Para athletics, a scoping review

The ability to identify and develop talented athletes effectively can increase the likelihood of sporting success and thus increase returns on invested resources for stakeholders. Talent identification and development (TIdD) is well studied in sports which are highly monetised, such as soccer and rugby, however, it is less researched in Para sport. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesise and map the current landscape of research on TIdD in Para athletics (PA) to allow for evidence-based recommendations to be made for applied practice. This study followed a five-step framework for conducting scoping reviews and searched five major databases [PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO (via EBSCO), ERIC (via ProQuest), and SCOPUS (via Elsevier)], reference lists and existing networks, relevant organisations and conferences, for research pertaining to TIdD in PA. The search returned 1,786 results, of which, nine papers were included in this review. Of the nine publications related to TIdD in PA, five were published within the last 5 years, and four reported on physical testing data. The most investigated track and field discipline was sprinting and there was a notable absence of representation for several classifications. The review found that TIdD practices in PA are primarily centered on physical assessments and the analysis of demographic data, including birthdates and impairment-related factors. Further research is needed in this area, with research teams encouraged to give greater attention to diversity and critically reflect on the broader applicability of their findings.