Paralympics

[pumbaa]

Bloody Germans

Indeed. Enjoyed that. Now watching Mexico v China womens match. Kind of supporting the Mexican's, for no reason whatsoever really

[jonny72]

Am I the only one that feels a bit uncomfortable watching some of the sports?

The swimming with competitors with varying disabilities seemed a bit of a freak show (pardon the phrase) to me. Seems a strange way to organise the events and it appears to be touchy subject amongst the competitors themselves.

[kerry red]

Just because the athlete's disabilities are more visible in the swimming doesn't make it any different from any other of the sports.

Some people think the blade runners are cool.

I find the swimming probably the most awe inspiring - swimmers with no arms winning gold? Fantastic!

[Arriba]

Am I the only one that feels a bit uncomfortable watching some of the sports?

The swimming with competitors with varying disabilities seemed a bit of a freak show (pardon the phrase) to me. Seems a strange way to organise the events and it appears to be touchy subject amongst the competitors themselves.

I agree. First time I've watched it today and can't help but think some have an advantage

[jonny72]

Just because the athlete's disabilities are more visible in the swimming doesn't make it any different from any other of the sports.

I find the swimming probably the most awe inspiring - swimmers with no arms winning gold? Fantastic!

Think it's mainly having people with such varying disabilities competing against each other.

I'm not knocking it or the competitors, but it just doesn't look right to me.

Can't believe how shit the Channel 4 coverage is. Think Locog fucked up taking the money over better quality coverage. The BBC's coverage of the Olympics was amazing and I'm sure they'd have done something similar for the Paralympics.

[pumbaa]

BBC set the bar so high, it was going to be impossible for C4 to replicate it. I do agree though, the coverage is a pale shadow of that of the main games, and that's a real shame.

[Notts red]

Am I the only one that feels a bit uncomfortable watching some of the sports?

The swimming with competitors with varying disabilities seemed a bit of a freak show (pardon the phrase) to me. Seems a strange way to organise the events and it appears to be touchy subject amongst the competitors themselves.

It can be such a taboo subject but don't see to much wrong in using the phrase " freak show " I'm sure an awful lot of people feel slightly uncomfortable watching some of the competitors/Events. I guess a lot of able bodied people may not find it as inspiring as people with similar disabilities. I'm really enjoying most of the events but as with the other games a couple of weeks ago some of the events are just not my cup of tea.

[sonicyouth]

At least there is coverage of it in the UK, it doesn't even make the news here

[Bogus Dave]

Went to this yesterday. It was blummin awesome. Sitting down volleyball looks more fun to play than the able bodied alternative (as long as you have child slaves to collect the balls which run off).

Blind judo made just as much sense as 'normal' judo, i.e. none. Was a bit concerned at how easily some of the atheletes could find their mark completely unguided, considering they were supposed to be blind. Or at least visually impaired, whatever that means.

Also saw the powerlifitng, which was probably the most inspiring thing I have ever witnessed with my own two eyeballs. Guys weighing less than 52kg bench pressing (so no legs or anything, purely arms and chests at play) 175kg was a magnificent soght to behold. A happy chinese man won too which was awesome. Happy chinese people are awesome.

Then went to the olympic staidum. Was some throwing events, which were dull to watch but largely beacsue I had no idea what the state of play was a lot of the time. The actual achievement of the athletes was breathtaking. One guy had one leg, but was warming up really robustly. I am quite inebriated now, so can't do it justice with words, but he was doing that thing where you swing your arms all the way around your body. With one leg. I am not being patronising or attempting at humour when I say that it was one of the best things I saw all day.

In terms of actual competition, the long jump was awesome. I didn't quite understand how the scoring worked, but some german bloke broke a record with every jump he did and that was awesome. In terms of the track, the british wheelchair 5000m bloke won his race, and a british woman won gold in the 100m wheelchair race. I shoud know their names, and will endevaur to learn in the future, but to say I was in the olympic stadium when a british Athlete won gold is a moment and an atmosphere I will never forget, nor decline to tell people at any opportunity.

In terms of the whole atmosphere in general, I didn't feel as if people were treating the competition in any negative light because of the physical ability of the athletes. It was really obvious that the crowd were massively up for the british people (awkwardly so in some instances), but from what I've read thats been the case throughtout the games. The stadium looked to be 95% full during the track and field events, and tammi grey-thompson said on the tannoy that was more people than showed up during the whole 2004 games. And I think britain can be immesnly proud of that.

I know it will always be second class to the olympic games, and I'll readily admit that i won't watch as much of this as I would it's able bodied counterpart. But the paralympics is indefinitely more inspiring, and affordable (!), than the olympic games, and I think Britian can be massively proud at how well it has embraced these games. I've seen the freak show comments in these threads, and I understand them. But those competing are doing so at the very limits of what their human capabilities can do, and that is no different to the able bodied athletes we saw two weeks ago.

TL;DR - I'm drunk. The paralympics is awesome.

[Bogus Dave]

Haaaa, said awesome a lot in the above. Sorry. Replace awesome with any other word of your choosing. Magnificent, great, dinosaur, superb. I don't care. It was brilliant.

[jonny72]

Watching some of the Brits in action on TV, the crowds seemed to be going ballistic - far more so than during the Olympics. Was really impressed by it, the atmosphere and noise seemed up there with if not better than any football match I've been to. Guess it's partly due to there being more Brits in the crowd and partly due to excessive alcohol levels.

[Bathtime]

Anyone know when the whellchair rugby is on?

[Chubbs]

Watching the 100m yesterday and that Irish guy who won could easily have beaten some of the runners from the Olympics.  10.34 is rediculous time.

[Summerof69]

Anyone know when the whellchair rugby is on?

Checking my Paralympic programme, it starts on Wednesday.