Rio 2016 Paralympic Games
Discussion
Thanks for the warm-up. 
This year we get paratriathlon for the first time at the Paralympics, with five classifications: one for wheelchair users, three for decreasing levels of physical impairment in walking people, and one for visually impaired and blind triathletes competing with a guide. Team GB have qualified 11 triathletes across the 5 classifications, so should be in with a shout for a decent few medals there.
I hope they've fixed the beach pontoon thingy by then, though.
Athletics - Hannah Peacock, Stephen Miller, Johnnie Peacock, Richard Whitehead, Sophie Hahn who set a world record at the tender ago of 16 in the 100m.
Looking forward to the table tennis purely because of that one amazing shot from last time.
Great memories of cheering myself hoarse at Brands Hatch for the road cycling, hoping we'll get to see anything half as good this time. Zanardi was imperious, I'm glad he's still riding although his chances must be sliding sideways a bit as he's now 49. And Sarah Storey catching the men's race and passing them.
I'm excited about the boccia, but they've decided basically not to bother televising it so I'll be hoping some helpful soul takes it upon themself to live-tweet it or something.
Is anyone actually going?
This year we get paratriathlon for the first time at the Paralympics, with five classifications: one for wheelchair users, three for decreasing levels of physical impairment in walking people, and one for visually impaired and blind triathletes competing with a guide. Team GB have qualified 11 triathletes across the 5 classifications, so should be in with a shout for a decent few medals there.
I hope they've fixed the beach pontoon thingy by then, though.
Athletics - Hannah Peacock, Stephen Miller, Johnnie Peacock, Richard Whitehead, Sophie Hahn who set a world record at the tender ago of 16 in the 100m.
Looking forward to the table tennis purely because of that one amazing shot from last time.
Great memories of cheering myself hoarse at Brands Hatch for the road cycling, hoping we'll get to see anything half as good this time. Zanardi was imperious, I'm glad he's still riding although his chances must be sliding sideways a bit as he's now 49. And Sarah Storey catching the men's race and passing them.
I'm excited about the boccia, but they've decided basically not to bother televising it so I'll be hoping some helpful soul takes it upon themself to live-tweet it or something.
Is anyone actually going?
Russia's total Paralympics ban upheld.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/371654...
Hmm - IPC more courageous or just less corrupt than the IOC?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/371654...
Hmm - IPC more courageous or just less corrupt than the IOC?
I went to see the cycling at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow. After all of the excitement at London 2012 I had high hopes for the spectacle and despite Wiggo, Hoy et al, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the whole experience.
That was until I watched the Women's VI Tandem races. It was genuinely terrifying to watch. I'm not a cyclist, but the regular track races where they all ride so close together is bad enough, but on seemingly huge tandem bikes, where one of the riders is blind, really is something to behold. Looking forward to seeing it in Brazil.
That was until I watched the Women's VI Tandem races. It was genuinely terrifying to watch. I'm not a cyclist, but the regular track races where they all ride so close together is bad enough, but on seemingly huge tandem bikes, where one of the riders is blind, really is something to behold. Looking forward to seeing it in Brazil.
Will never forget watching Richard Whitehead winning the 200m in 2012. Sitting in the back row in the Olympic stadium I have never experienced a noise in a crowd like that before or since. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing as I think about it. Was a phenomenal day for myself and my family and we cannot believe it was four years ago. Great times and amazing sporting achievements.
The road cycling at Brands Hatch was right up there amongst some of the very best experiences I have ever had. By some miracle I got tickets inside Brands Hatch itself - most of the courses were out on surrounding roads but the finish straight was the actual BH finish straight - for almost the entire thing, I think I maybe missed the first day or the first half day or something. David Stone and Dame Sarah Storey and the two GB women handcyclists who crossed the line hand in hand hoping to share the bronze medal. Zanardi, and Zanardi, and even more Zanardi, I screamed myself hoarse calling them home with the thousands of others there, it was properly magical.
It's a f
kin' tragedy if Brazilians miss out on this - especially with how cheap the cheapest tickets are, and the fact that the road events presumably mostly won't be ticketed at all, some of those people will never get another chance to see world class sport (para or otherwise) up close and personal.
I went to some of the Commonwealth Games stuff too, by then a dad and an aspiring Paralympian in my own right (I'm at least a decade off still now…), it was pretty awesome but not AS awesome as Brands Hatch was.
It's a f
kin' tragedy if Brazilians miss out on this - especially with how cheap the cheapest tickets are, and the fact that the road events presumably mostly won't be ticketed at all, some of those people will never get another chance to see world class sport (para or otherwise) up close and personal. I went to some of the Commonwealth Games stuff too, by then a dad and an aspiring Paralympian in my own right (I'm at least a decade off still now…), it was pretty awesome but not AS awesome as Brands Hatch was.
Some person who held office at The London 2012 Paralympics has just been on the Beeb suggesting that some sort of crowd funding is organised to buy tickets for Rio schoolchildren so that the children can see the Games and the athletes don't perform in front of 90% empty stadiums.
Goodness me! If that is the problem why don't they just walk round the schools giving out sheaves of tickets?
Or just open the gates? Why does everybody except me have to make everything so complicated?
Goodness me! If that is the problem why don't they just walk round the schools giving out sheaves of tickets?
Or just open the gates? Why does everybody except me have to make everything so complicated?
The Mad Monk said:
Some person who held office at The London 2012 Paralympics has just been on the Beeb suggesting that some sort of crowd funding is organised to buy tickets for Rio schoolchildren so that the children can see the Games and the athletes don't perform in front of 90% empty stadiums.
Goodness me! If that is the problem why don't they just walk round the schools giving out sheaves of tickets?
Or just open the gates? Why does everybody except me have to make everything so complicated?
Goodness me! If that is the problem why don't they just walk round the schools giving out sheaves of tickets?
Or just open the gates? Why does everybody except me have to make everything so complicated?
I have no idea why someone can't just pop round the few hundred nearest schools with a few hundred tickets for each. Preferably an athlete of some description, do a bit of a talk kinda fing, but whatever.Might need to lay on buses or something to make sure that the poorest kids from the furthest out areas can get there, but that must be about all really.
Randy Winkman said:
rev-erend said:
Lets hope that the stands are full of people.
Much more positive news about that on The Last Leg this evening. Sounds like a good effort has been made to rescue things. Fingers crossed.I thought TLL was better in London but tonight's was a good'un all the same.
cranford10 said:
Sorry but this leaves me cold. Whilst I don't doubt the commitment of the competitors, I have no interest in whether our dwarf can swim faster than yours.
And I've no interest in whether your bunch of overpaid idiots can kick a ball into a great big net more times than ours so I guess each to his own, eh? 
(PS our [swimmer with] dwarf[ism] can indeed swim a hell of a lot faster than yours.
) cranford10 said:
Sorry but this leaves me cold. Whilst I don't doubt the commitment of the competitors, I have no interest in whether our dwarf can swim faster than yours.
You pick a good example. The reason I like the Paralympics is because as a keen swimmer/triathlete, it shows me that the reason I'm not a great swimmer isn't because I'm not 6ft 5ins with massive hands and feet like Michael Phelps. Lots of people with far greater physical challenges are better than me too. It shows me that my excuses for a lack of physical prowess are just excuses. Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff