Paralympics

[Tigerrr]

Now that the warmup event is over its time for the real thing eh?
I wonder how much interest the paralympics will create. I know a lot of people have applied for tickets, which is great. The Chinese sold 160k tickets in total or something silly,  even giving them away. I understand we have sold something like 750k so far? (I think that was what I heard on the radio this AM).  Am I right in thinking that like in S America physical disability is not socially acceptable in China? Certainly its going to be interesting in Brazil where disabled people are generally not wanted in public, as they offend the Brazilian body worship cult. You don't see a lot of wheelchairs at carnival for sure.
Word is that the rugby is awesome, with on site welders to repair the smashed chairs as they go.  That's top of my list.
It would be really great if instead of being a poorly attended and reported event the paralympics took off in the way the last 2 weeks did and becomes a 2nd wave of inspiration.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Says here they have already sold 2.1 million out of 2.5 mill:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19240972

[Polar Bear]

Speaking as a person with a recognised disability, this is what I've been waiting for.   This is where the true olympian spirit really thrives - triumph through adversity.   I don't wish to down play the achievements of Jess Ennis et al but these guys really deserve proper recognition.   

Ya boo sucks to Royal Mail who don't intend to give each gold medallist a stamp of their own.   Shame on you for such overt discrimination.   

[Jacomus]

Miss Emily and I have got Paralympic track cycling tickets, which we are highly excited about.

I too am looking forward to the rugger and also goalball

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/goalball/about/#

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/X492Z01-Gk8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/X492Z01-Gk8&rel=1</a>

[Notsototalnewbie]

We have several sets of tickets for the athletics. I'm really looking forward to it. I might try to get more. As I said on the other thread, I really like Channel 4's trailer for the Paralympics.

[mattc]

I thought this post elsewhere was bang-on:

I think the Paralympics is a wonderful thing, but its requirement to identify and cater for each subset of disabilities seems to result in an incredibly complex and unwieldy structure that isn't that easy to follow and produces a very large number of medal winners from a relatively small field - for instance, there are 10 men's and 7 women's (and one mixed) road cycling classifications, presumably producing 18 medal sets where there are two in the Olympics. There's no way that all these medallists can be recognised in the way that Olympians are; there are just too many! But it will be a wonderful spectacle, for all that, and I shall watch as much of it as I can.

(Hope this re-quote is Ok with Tim.)

[red marley]

I've just watched the Channel 4 promo for the Paralympics.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/tuAPPeRg3Nw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/tuAPPeRg3Nw&rel=1</a>

Unexpected, affecting and generally very impressive. It manages to tread the difficult line between "no triumph, no tragedy" and the fact that Olympians really are quite extraordinary people.

Really looking forward to the Paralympics, not least because I was lucky enough to get tickets for two sessions at the velodrome as well as wheelchair basketball.

[geraldc]

The South Korean archer who broke the world record at the Olympics is registered blind, you have Oscar Pistorious competing the the paralympics and Olympics, the wheelchair record for the marathon is far faster than the running version. I do wonder why that when you can beat or compete with the olympics, why have a parallel olympics.

I've seen wheelchair rugby described as robot wars with people.

[andygates]

Wasn't the rugby originally called Murderball, it's so intense?  Full of burly action chaps crashing and dumping each other out and all that.  Full-on!

I was thinking about coming down for the powerlifting (a bench-press competition) but all bar the spendy tickets are well gone.  Moar tellies!

[Kim]

I've seen wheelchair rugby described as robot wars with people.

I'm still waiting for robot wars with robots.

[David Martin]

Me too. Rather than Robot Wars with radio controlled machines. Autonomous engines battling it out.

[rafletcher]

The South Korean archer who broke the world record at the Olympics is registered blind, you have Oscar Pistorious competing the the paralympics and Olympics, the wheelchair record for the marathon is far faster than the running version. I do wonder why that when you can beat or compete with the olympics, why have a parallel olympics.I've seen wheelchair rugby described as robot wars with people.

I've seen wheelchair rugby - I go the the Gym at Stoke Mandeville. I wouldn't like to be in the same room as them!
And in response to the highlighted comments - very very few athletes with physical and/or mental impairement are able to compete in the "normal" Olympics. And I don't suppose the non-impaired runners in the marathon would consider it a level playing field competing againg wheelchair-bound competitiors.

[Jaded]

We've got Opening Ceremony, Track Cycling, Swimming and three lots of Athletics, plus a site day pass that allows us into Wheelchair rugby and other sports.

I cannot wait.

[David Martin]

It should also be noted that very few athletes without any physical or mental impairment are able to compete in the 'normal' Olympics either...

[Karla]

Me too. Rather than Robot Wars with radio controlled machines. Autonomous engines battling it out.

I was told by a competitor that the rules did allow autonomous machines, it was just that nobody ever entered one. Apart from the effort of actually building an autonomous fighting machine, there were very stringent safety rules which made for an even more daunting project. 

[Polar Bear]

The South Korean archer who broke the world record at the Olympics is registered blind, ...

On one subjective test one of his eyes is technically within the range of 'blind' as recognised internationally, that being 20/200.   However, his other eye is stronger at 20/100.   

In fact, his sight in his weakest eye is identical to mine when measured purely by the eye chart.   Where he gains massively over me is that he is not overly sensitive to light and his other eye is much stronger than my 'best' eye.   Even in ideal conditions for me I cannot see the bull of the target.  I have no idea how he does it but well done him.   

[mattc]

It should also be noted that very few athletes without any physical or mental impairment are able to compete in the 'normal' Olympics either...

I had to read that twice to see what you meant. 

[Tigerrr]

That ad posted above is ace isnt it.

[Jacomus]

It should also be noted that very few athletes without any physical or mental impairment are able to compete in the 'normal' Olympics either...

I had to read that twice to see what you meant. 

  I only got it after reading mattc's comment

[Cudzoziemiec]

Regarding the classification of athletes, when the International Wheelchair Games were in Bangalore a few years ago, we spoke to a few of the athletes and were told that they had four classes, depending on the number of limbs you could move - roughly speaking. From having three normal limbs and one with limited movement to being paralysed from the neck down. But that's just wheelchair users, who, I presume, are a small part of all Paralympians.

[Jasmine]

Regarding the classification of athletes, when the International Wheelchair Games were in Bangalore a few years ago, we spoke to a few of the athletes and were told that they had four classes, depending on the number of limbs you could move - roughly speaking. From having three normal limbs and one with limited movement to being paralysed from the neck down. But that's just wheelchair users, who, I presume, are a small part of all Paralympians.

It varies between sports.  Think about cycling, would it be easier to cycle with 2 legs & 1 arm, or 1 leg and 2 arms?

Also, other diabilities are mixed in with that - athletes with cerebal palsy may be a separate category in some events, but combined with another category for other events where it is considered to give an equivalent level of skill/power.  TV coverage of the Paralympics always covers the inclusions of all the categories at the start of the event.  I'm always mystified at the start, but found the presenters of the Paralympics in Beijing covered the topic quite well. 

[Kim]

It varies between sports.  Think about cycling, would it be easier to cycle with 2 legs & 1 arm, or 1 leg and 2 arms?

In this case, I think it really *is* about the bike...   

[TimC]

Regarding the classification of athletes, when the International Wheelchair Games were in Bangalore a few years ago, we spoke to a few of the athletes and were told that they had four classes, depending on the number of limbs you could move - roughly speaking. From having three normal limbs and one with limited movement to being paralysed from the neck down. But that's just wheelchair users, who, I presume, are a small part of all Paralympians.

It varies between sports.  Think about cycling, would it be easier to cycle with 2 legs & 1 arm, or 1 leg and 2 arms?

Also, other diabilities are mixed in with that - athletes with cerebal palsy may be a separate category in some events, but combined with another category for other events where it is considered to give an equivalent level of skill/power.  TV coverage of the Paralympics always covers the inclusions of all the categories at the start of the event.  I'm always mystified at the start, but found the presenters of the Paralympics in Beijing covered the topic quite well. 

Rik Waddon touched on this in the last Cycle Show, and he was quite enlightening. Essentially, the classifications seek to equalise physical potential, so it may be that someone with neurological issues may be considered equivalent to, say, a double amputee (don't quote me on that!). As he said, once the race starts, it's all irrelevant - you're looking at elite athleticism whatever the impairments, and should judge only on the competitive and sporting achievement. That said, I'm still trying to get my head around the numbers of classifications; it can't be easy to invent and regulate these things - witness the fact that (IIRC) in the Paralympics around 40% of the number of Olympian athletes are competing for 150% of the number of medals.

[mattc]

Re Rick Waddon on Cycle Show:
It was striking that they totally avoided discussing his disability!

(and managed to discuss not discussing the story behind paralympians injuries/impairments)

It was slightly surreal, in a good way.

[TimC]

Yes - I had to Google him to find out what his impairment was, as it was far from obvious!

I've just perused the main London 2012 Paralympic site. Apparently, 225 cyclists will compete in 50 medal events - that's 150 medals. Even accepting the difficulties of classification, that number of medal events seems somewhat excessive - or the number of competitors is too low.