Paralympics - favourite event?

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Am loving the wheelchair tennis. Am beginning to think it's better to watch than the real thing.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I have great respect for the paralympians taking part in Rio this year.
But the one outstanding event for me is the courage of the blind runners doing their stuff, its fantastic to watch.

 

[Pickles]

Am I the only one that, whilst naturally respecting and in awe of all competitors, wonder how they make events the same, based on disability?

Swimming, how do they do that?

 

[ArfurW8]

Not got a favourite sport yet, the blind sprinters running with their guides,the one armed javelin throwers,the wheelchair javelin throwers,the one armed swimmers who can swim four lengths in the time it takes me to swim one length have all amazed me.
The more I watch the more I respect and admire all of the competitors in all the sports.
Brilliant viewing.

 

[zeetha]

The athletes are all so amazing, and with some inspiring stories too. Its hard to pick out one sport more than others really, but the high jump for people with one leg and the blind long jump I found astonishing

 

[clippedgull]

I must admit I haven't been watching, but one news item this morning I found quite incredible.

A guy was playing table tennis by using a table tennis bat held by his mouth and was serving the ball with one of his feet.

I just found a You Tube clip of him (non Olympics)

[yt]aDdh2439hnU[/yt]

 

[Triggaaar]

Am I the only one that, whilst naturally respecting and in awe of all competitors, wonder how they make events the same, based on disability?

It is of course extremely difficult to do fairly. They'll make tweaks over the years and it will continue to improve.

 

[Triggaaar]

Not got a favourite sport yet, the blind sprinters running with their guides,the one armed javelin throwers,the wheelchair javelin throwers,the one armed swimmers who can swim four lengths in the time it takes me to swim one length have all amazed me.

The athlete that amazed me the most was the Chinese swimmer who was doing the butterfly - very quickly - despite the facts that he didn't have any arms! Bloody amazing.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Its all been so brilliant, so much respect for them all.
But, i was watching the basketball and i know its all part of the game but when they are shunted over (and it happens a lot) the sight of them being helped back onto their wheels absolutely helpless makes me feel very sorry for them.
I dont feel like this in any other event because i know the last thing they want is sympathy, but impossible not to feel that way in this instance.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Its all been so brilliant, so much respect for them all.
But, i was watching the basketball and i know its all part of the game but when they are shunted over (and it happens a lot) the sight of them being helped back onto their wheels absolutely helpless makes me feel very sorry for them.
I dont feel like this in any other event because i know the last thing they want is sympathy, but impossible not to feel that way in this instance.

My mate (Simon Munn) is in that team, most are professional sportsmen, usually abroad (he plays in Italy) they're as hard as nails

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

My mate (Simon Munn) is in that team, most are professional sportsmen, usually abroad (he plays in Italy) they're as hard as nails

Yes they do seem very tough,.The Australia v GB match was really good, i am a big fan of Basketball I watch the Plymouth Raiders regulary so to play at that tempo in wheelchairs is ridiculous.
But as tough as they are to see them on the floor helpless waiting to be put upright is a little upsetting, they would all tell me to get a grip and grow a pair though.

 

[Bry Nylon]

It would be an interesting experiment at the next Olympics (Tokyo 2020), to take one discipline (for example, swimming) and run the Olympic competition and the Paralympic competition in tandem. So a typical day at the aquatic centre would see heats / finals for both strands of competition. It would be start to integrating both events better.

 

[Miximate]

Loving it all, currently watching the swimming with two guys with learning difficulties getting gold and silver for team GB...bloody brilliant stuff

 

[symyjym]

Swimming without arms is always impressive.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Swimming without arms is always impressive.

Absolutely and so is swimming with one arm, I would go round in a circle.

 

[Gazwag]

Am I the only one that, whilst naturally respecting and in awe of all competitors, wonder how they make events the same, based on disability?

Swimming, how do they do that?

Have you watched any of it, as they regularly explain what disabilities are included in certain classes of competition.

Basketball for example has a points system based on disability (bit like fantasy football) where each team can only have a maximum of 15 (I think) on the court at any one time, or the cycling in certain events were the clock is made slower for some competitors to equalise their disability with somebody else who has the clock run at normal speed thereby the best competitor wins irrespective of type of disability.

 

[goldstone]

Favourite event? The closing ceremony.

 

[SAC]

The ones with no arms are amazing. Swimmers, table tennis and even archery.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

The wheelchair rugby is brutal.....

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Favourite event? The closing ceremony.

Are you upset because they don't class troll as a learning difficulty?