Tully Kearney: Paralympic champion makes formal complaint over classification process

British Paralympic gold medallist Tully Kearney has made a formal complaint to World Para Swimming, claiming she was subjected to a classification process "undertaken in an inappropriate, insulting, at times humiliating, and arguably discriminatory manner". The swimmer, 26, has written to the world governing body claiming its "appalling and unacceptable treatment" of her has "almost broken me". Kearney - a 10-time world champion - states the panel who assessed her had "failed in their duty of care", and requests permission to appeal against its decision. She also claims the findings of the classification team "were irrational and unreasonable and demonstrated a fundamental lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of my disability" and "ignored the supporting medical evidence". Kearney states it "failed to understand and apply the classification framework in a fair and balanced manner" and that "the classification was irrational, unreasonable, and against the weight of the evidence".