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Do you care about the paralympics as much as the olympics?

S

strung out

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paralympics start this weekend, but i'm struggling to muster too much enthusiasm and trying to figure out why. will any of you guys be watching the paralympics? do you care more or less about them than the olympics, or are they both equally as important in your eyes?
 
I didn't watch any of the Olympics (unless you count waking up on the settee during the women's marathon), so my answer to this is a resounding "yes." :cool:
 
I shall try and watch some of it as having really enjoyed the Olympics I'd like to keep that feeling going.

Also I don't know a lot about the Paraolympics or Paraolympians and would like to learn :)
 
I will be watching with extra interest , my brother is in Beijing as the sailing coach to the Spanish disabled sailing team , sounds grand but the Spanish disabled sailing squad is called Emilio and he has one leg .

My bro was excited when he recieved his bright red suit and patent yellow shoes , he even gets to keep them after the olympics are over lucky fella.
 
As with the olympics, if i catch some on telly I'll watch, or if something exciting gets reported watch the highlights. I thought there was going to be an hour of it on bbc2 each day. But I've seen nothing except trailers saying it would be on today. I'm not going to be near a telly today which i'm actually quite pissed off about that, I would have liked to have seen a bit.
 
It doesn't get as much coverage so I guess you can say I don't care as much, I don't know many paralympic athletes either so you don't be rooting for anyone when the events come on as well.
 
Nah. I watch and get a little frustrated by the arbitrariness of it all to a certain extent.

It's probably a better example of the olympic ideals, people coming to make the best of themselves, often more for the taking part. But my tendency to support the underdog often means that I'm a little outraged on somebody's behalf - as in "It's not fair IOC, he's clearly got less amputated and has greater mobility - he's got a blatant advantage.'

And then the cynic in me - probably fed by the histrionics of diving, snide soccerball players - begins to wonder if that 'visually impaired' athlete really is that badly held back compared to his opponents.

It's a worthwhile, valuable event regardless. A lot of people with remarkable stories and resilience.
 
I saw not one nanosecond of the Olympics and couldn't care less. I am keener on the Paralympics and I know someone who is performing at the handover ceremony so I have an interest.
 
It's too bad that it's that way, since disabled athletes are often superb representatives of many of the values that the olympics espouse.
 
One of the things that negatively influences my interest in the paralympics is that when it comes to the business end it's, generally, a European/Anglo-Saxon/first-world contest. Only 10 countries won medals in 2004.

Also, I don't know, but I suspect investment in equipment is, relatively speaking, even more important to success than in the olympics.
 
i heard a discussion on the radio saying that the paralympics should be on at the same time main olympics. i thought that was a good idea - if nothing else the athletes would be performing in front of bigger crowds and get wider TV coverage.

London_Calling said:
One of the things that negatively influences my interest in the paralympics is that when it comes to the business end it's, generally, a European/Anglo-Saxon/first-world contest. Only 10 countries won medals in 2004.

Also, I don't know, but I suspect investment in equipment is, relatively speaking, even more important to success than in the olympics.
Click to expand...

Do you think this is reflective of attitudes to Disabled people and Disabled sport in these countries?

Disabled sport has many organisations in the UK supporting and fund raising for it - just taking Blind people they have groups from English Blind Golf to British Blind Sport working as advocates.
 
The first person to ever win a Gold in the paralympics was a blind woman doing Long Jump. She was Chinese and her major rivals in the event were from Latin America...I heard that on 'In Touch' on Radio 4, so, London_Calling, where did you get your flawed info from then, eh?
 
London_Calling said:
One of the things that negatively influences my interest in the paralympics is that when it comes to the business end it's, generally, a European/Anglo-Saxon/first-world contest. Only 10 countries won medals in 2004.
Click to expand...
This was the situation in the Olympics 100 years ago. Disabled sport is more advanced in the richer countries, but the Paralympics has to be the best way to promote them, surely?

The opening ceremony is superb so far. :)
 
London_Calling said:
One of the things that negatively influences my interest in the paralympics is that when it comes to the business end it's, generally, a European/Anglo-Saxon/first-world contest. Only 10 countries won medals in 2004.

Also, I don't know, but I suspect investment in equipment is, relatively speaking, even more important to success than in the olympics.
Click to expand...

According to wikipedia 73 countries won medals in 2004.

ETA: Actually 3 countries tied for 73rd so 75 countries.
 
I think L_C just pulls these spurious bits of 'info' from thin air....imagining something doesn't make it true.....
 
The Paralimpics should take place at the same time and be fully integrated with the normal Olympics.

imho
 
I suspect its much closer to the original Olympic ideal in the sense of them actually being amateurs (though i guess in some sports/countries there will be a fair amount of support).

At one level i break the rule of disability politics and get impressed by the way many of the athletes have bounced back from injury or illness - though they are also pretty impressive as athletes anyway. At the same time, if I'm honest, I'm less likely to watch than i would the 'main' olympics (and i didn't see much of that).
 
hammerntongues said:
I will be watching with extra interest , my brother is in Beijing as the sailing coach to the Spanish disabled sailing team , sounds grand but the Spanish disabled sailing squad is called Emilio and he has one leg .

I know it is not very PC but I just sprayed my comp with corn flakes reading that...:D

good luck to Emilio btw



I saw opening last night..it looked really cool, music, that blind guy playing the panio, the thing with the hands just great.
Click to expand...
 
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