Paralympics - favourite event?

[Ninja Elephant]

I struggle to enjoy the events where one competitor has a significant advantage over the others, I know it's impossible to make it fully fair because all disabilities are different. But I much prefer watching the basketball and rugby, for example, rather than seeing an almost fully able bodied person breaking all sorts of records and winning events in different categories against significantly more handicapped opponents.

 

[Miximate]

Men's tennis doubles...excellent stuff.....come on boys, third set decider looking possible now in the gold medal decider

 

[Bozza]

Men's tennis doubles...excellent stuff.....come on boys, third set decider looking possible now in the gold medal decider

Loving it. Captivating viewing.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Some of the returns in the tennis are ridiculous - I don't know how they manage them, especially Houdet. Too many unforced errors by our blokes, though they've fought back well to take the second set.

I've really enjoyed most of the sports (I particularly liked the Powerlifting), but the moment that really got me was when Alex Zanardi said after winning his gold medal that the Olympic Stadium was built on top of the Indy Car circuit where he got his first Pole Position. A bloke who was minutes from death, with only a pint of blood left in his body, who's come back to achieve what he has done.

One thing I have missed, though, is BBC coverage. I thought Channelf 4 were quite innovative in London, but I've not been impressed this time. Constant advert breaks, and some sports hardly getting covered at all. I know it's not everybody's cup of tea, but my mother is fed up with the lack of coverage of the equestrian events, which received extensive coverage in London.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The whole thing is a testament to the plasticity of the human brain, and the spirit of the individualts involved. For me its anything with a Brit in it (as always).

 

[Miximate]

WTF is going on with C4 and the adverts!

 

[Miximate]

Alfie having a mare!

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Favourite event? The closing ceremony.

I agree totally.
After watching the most awe inspiring, amazing athletes taking part against all the odds in a magnificent spirit with some awful disabilities and doing far better than I could even dream achieving, they then get together and have a well deserved party.
I am certain as a human being that is what you meant to say but you didn't want to put too much detail in your great post.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Alfie having a mare!

It was a shame, but what a game.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The wheelchair rugby is brutal.....

It must be. Either that, or it's a version of seafront dodgems where crashing into other vehicles is allowed, rather than being banned.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

When I saw the wheelchair basketball 4 years ago. The way they CLATTER into each other and if they are upended just flip the wheelchair over and carry on was gob smacking/remarkable/amazing.

 

[Bozza]

We applied for World Championship athletics tickets for next Summer but didn't get anything in the ballot.

I've decided we'll go to at least one of the ParaAthletics sessions instead. Still decent availability and prices for anyone else interested: https://tickets.london2017athletics.com

 

[Seagull58]

Alex Zanardi in the handcycling.
15 years ago yesterday this guy lost both legs, 7 pints of blood (you only have 8!) and was given ZERO chance of survival by the doctors at the scene.
2 years later he drove the 13 laps remaining in the race in a specially adapted car at a speed that would have qualified him fifth that weekend.
Now he's a triple paralympic gold medallist, plus 2 silvers.
For those of you too young to remember his crash in CART racing, it will make your life a little richer to take a few minutes to research his career.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

We applied for World Championship athletics tickets for next Summer but didn't get anything in the ballot.

I've decided we'll go to at least one of the ParaAthletics sessions instead. Still decent availability and prices for anyone else interested: https://tickets.london2017athletics.com

my wife took the kids and her parents to the paralympics in london in 2012 as we didn't get tickets for the olympic stadium during the olympics and she wanted to go. It so much cheaper (think she paid £35 for 4 of them for higher end tickets - kids and OAPS were something like £5), they also were sat just behind the families of the athletes and met one of them with her silver medal so they had a great day out so would definitely recommend it

 

[SUA Seagull]

Team GB has just clocked up its 50th gold medal c/o Paul Blake in the T36 400m. What an absolutely astonishing team effort. They have excelled beyond all expectations and are an inspiration to all. Mega-respect to the athletes, trainers and organisers who have made us all proud. The investment in, and progress of, our Paralympians in recent years has been breathtaking. Team GB is light years ahead of other major, developed nations such as the US (now on 30 golds), Germany (12) and France (6). It speaks volumes for the value we place on sport for all here and I take my hat off to the lot of them. Marvellous effort.