Paralympics?

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Paralympics?

by joebangles @ 2008-09-11 – 16:38:21

This not really a question, may I just say that I would like to read comments and I believe that it may help others to understand, I also know that there are some preferred words to use when mentioning disabled persons and if I have used the wrong words please forgive me and correct me.

I have watched some of the television pictures from China, I have listened proudly as our National Anthem has been played on many occasions, I marvel at the way these athletes overcome their disabilities and the many fences that they have had to cross on their journey to representing their country.

I do not understand how events can be considered as taking place on equal terms between those competing. The competitors in the Olympic games are equally matched and I presume do not have any disabilities, the winner is undoubtably the best. I can understand that in events such as wheelchair basketball the members of each team have some disablement below the waist, but, above the waist would be on equal terms with each other.

I imagine that no two disabilities are the same and this must be unfair on that competitor with the greater disability, for every winner there are losers.

Maybe the disabled athlete in the UK has better facilities than several other county's? Has more help? Does this make competition unfair? One competitor had steel springs attached to his legs, Is that fair competition?

I do not intend to offend anyone with this post and I hope that I haven't, but I wish to understand and I imagine that many others wish likewise.
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15 Comments to Paralympics?

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- la_spice
- 2008-09-11 @ 16:58:31
This from the IPC(International Paralympics Committee)

Classification is simply a structure for competition. Not unlike wrestling, boxing and weightlifting, where athletes are categorized by weight classes, athletes with disabilities are grouped in classes defined by the degree of function presented by the disability.

Traditionally there are athletes who belong to six different disability groups in the Paralympic Movement: amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and a group which includes all those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups (les autres).

Classes are determined by a variety of processes that may include a physical and technical assessment and observation in and out of competition. The classes are defined by each sport and form part of the sport rules.

Classification is an ongoing process. When an athlete starts competing, they are allocated a class that may be reviewed throughout the athlete's career. Sports certify individuals to conduct the process of classification and these officials are known as classifiers.

Since the 1960's, the development of sport for athletes with a disability has produced the development of classification systems; and this continues to evolve to the present day.
- - lostjohnny
  - http://lostjohnnyparadox.blog.co.uk
  - 2008-09-11 @ 17:17:35
  Yes and then it is the taking part which counts, remeber the young South African girl during the actual olympics who did the mad swim marathon she had only one leg and managed to beat of the majority of able bodied competitors.
  - - joebangles
    - 2008-09-11 @ 23:07:02
    Hi lj, yes, very much agree that it is the taking part that counts and it is very obvious from watching the tele that the losers are quick to congratulate the winners and that they are all winners as they overcame their dissability.
    
    The South African girl did not win. Without the dissability she may have done, it was an uneven contest. She did have a personal win in the fact that she achieved what she did.
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- - joebangles
  - 2008-09-11 @ 22:55:34
  Hi La_S, yes, but even narrowing the groups still means that there will be some with more of a disability than others in that group thus the "playing field" is not level, the question remains, Is that fair?
  - - la_spice
    - 2008-09-12 @ 07:44:58
    Grumpus makes a very good point
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- alffly
- 2008-09-11 @ 17:32:37
Some of the factoring in certain events confuses me - we had a female cyclist lose out on a gold because even though she's ridden a faster time than the second-placed athlete, that athlete was considered more disabled and once that "factor" of extra disability was taken into account her time was faster. How do you place a distinct numerical value on disability?

As for the facilities question - differences in the quality of facilities exist in able bodied sports as well, so I'm not sure it's much of an issue.
- - joebangles
  - 2008-09-11 @ 23:00:39
  Hi alffly, the facilities include the ability to get to the training place, ie, travel and the difficulty involved, the need for assistance, access to training places.
  
  Maybe the UK has these, maybe not, but for disabled athletes in many country's I suspect that there is very little help.
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- DominicGee
- 2008-09-11 @ 17:51:06
I think whether or not the althete has been trained better is part of the competition - we are not just finding out who is the fastest, strongest etc, but what country produces the fastest, strongest etc. Team GB and all that. This goes for the regular Olympics as much as the Paralympics.
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- joebangles
- 2008-09-11 @ 23:14:50
The very point of the Olympics is to find out who is the fastest, best in the World,training very much comes into it but I wonder, Do the disabled athletes from third world county's have the same facilities as the teams from USA, GB, Russia, China etc? Is it fair competition?

An able bodied runner can train on his own on any bit of grass without help unlike disabled persons that do require special facilities.
- - grumpus ^Pro
  - http://bobmblack.blog.co.uk
  - 2008-09-12 @ 07:31:13
  While the Olympics DOES show who is the best in every international sport at each particular Games, I think the POINT is that they provide a focus for athletes, both able-bodied and disabled, to strive for excellence against all odds.
  
  As a result of birth, illness, or injury, or simply where we live, we are all different. Fairness doesn't come into it. Most competitors seem more concerned with their own personal achievement and they fact that they actually qualified to take part, despite the difficulties they may have had to overcome.
  
  Competitors don't seem to bother about "she won because her legs are longer than mine" or "his leg stump is bigger than mine! It's not fair!" ... So why should we?
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- joebangles
- 2008-09-12 @ 11:53:16
With you on your comment Grumpus, yes, it appears to be the friendliest competition in the world and this makes it so easy to watch, everyone should sit up and take notice.

Just maybe others will read this blog and think about things for a bit.
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- 2008-09-13 @ 13:36:22
Having read all the above i would just like to add - it always brings a lump to my throat and tear to my eye watching the paralympians competing - they have such courage and dedication and always seem to be enjoying themselves (which isn't always apparent in the main olympics).
But then there are some events e.g. cycling, where i can't see any obvious disability, I can't help wondering what the disability is and how it is affecting them and how come they don't just race in the main olympics because they appear to be as good the competitors there.
Anyway, well done to them all for getting there in the first place.
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- joebangles
- 2008-09-14 @ 16:28:44
Hi oldbill, yes, I was rather hoping that someone would give us a further insight to the paralympics.

I was watching the cycling yesterday, at the start of one race a rider wobbled and was in danger of falling off, a rider from another country reached over and steadied him, this would not have happened in the olympics.

Maybe we should not worry about the position in the medal table and more about the athletes.
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- 2008-09-14 @ 17:58:17
For me, everyone competing in the Paralympics are winners as they have proven that they can do it no matter what!

Not all competitions for "undisabled" (I don't know what word to use) are all fair either. A basketball player with a height of 220 cm has easier than a player that is only 180 cm. The same as some athletes have sponsors that give them a better chance to train, as others have to pay their own training. So nothing is fair there either.
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- joebangles
- 2008-09-14 @ 21:53:36
Yes mcotw, you make a good point, I suppose there is nothing that can be completely fair and before we go into anything we look, and if we wish, accept the way things are.

I think my only problem with it is the way we shout about all the medals that we win because so many of the other countries disabled athletes do not have the opportunity with facilities that there are in the UK.
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