Paralympics - Brilliant or PC Bollocks?

Ok taboo subject I guess but I feel very uncomfortable with the Paralympic games and I don't think I'm the only one if truth be told.

I'm blessed, my daughter was born normal and we are both in good health and the world is geared up for 'able' human beings. It's right that those who through no fault of their own are incapacitated in some way are included and fully integrated in to our society but I've felt really awkward watching some of the events at these games this week.

For instance today I've watched on national TV a person of restricted growth beat a person with no arms to speak of, in the swimming pool. Think about it if I had pitched say a film pilot of having a swimming show down between a dwarf (forgive me if that is not the proper term to use) and a double amputee, as to who was the best swimmer was, I'd be thrown out of the building!

Yesterday I was watching the tandem track cycling, which basically consisted of a able bodied 'guide' cyclist, with a person with sight difficulty sat behind.

Now the race was about tactics, moves and feigns, then peddling bloody fast at the end. The able bodied person did ALL the tactics with just the disabled just helping with the peddling at the end - so to me the best disabled cyclist did not win, it was the disable cyclist who had the most savvy abled person with them who won!

Fair play for people wanting to challenge themselves and yes at times I guess you have to add 'apples' to 'pears' in order to get some sort of a competition together but at times watching the games is making me uncomfortable and at times even squirm!

What about you?

To be fair the Parallel Games (aka Paralympics) were created in an era long before the world went PC crazy! They were created to help improve confidence, build up strength and show that "normal" things can be done even with some sort of disability. I totally agree with that ethos and to be fair they have to work a lot harder than most "abled" bodied people to do what they can.



On the flipside, these games have shown that PC has taken hold as well. Such as there was a table-tennis "athlete" who was actually able-bodied and only reason she was able to play in the games because she is "slow" at school!!! But apart from that she could have easily played in the normal games - and there are plenty like that in these games.



I would like to see the games go back to how they should be - those who have some form of physical disability only (i.e. loss or born with no limb, blindness)

I think its good.

I see your point, but if they want to do it and get enjoyment out of doing it (and people want to go and watch it) then thats fine...

I watched the basketball and the skill they have is, simply - amazing!

Where do you draw the line ? Some of the competitors with severe disability are a shining example of the spirit of man but someone with learning difficulties is not what I would refer to as being disabled.

Reebok Trotter wrote:Where do you draw the line ? Some of the competitors with severe disability are a shining example of the spirit of man but someone with learning difficulties is not what I would refer to as being disabled.

why?

A disability by its nature, implies that the person has a difficulty in doing something that a (before the PC brigade jump on me - for want of a better word) 'normal' person can do with ease.

at the end of the day, they are just as good as 'normal' athletes but need assistance/extra equipment or a change in the rules to allow them to so something they love.

personally - I dont feel uncomfortable watching a sprinter with no legs or a basketball player in a wheelchair, they are doing something they love doing, just as shame for them that they cant do it in the 'normal' way...

It's a bit of both.

Watched that GB bloke win the 5000m buggy race last night - it was more interesting than a normal 5000m race.

But this morning I saw two teams of blind women playing some bizarre game where one team lay down on the floor to defend a net and the other team had to roll the ball past them. Shockingly bad sport.

It is a bit strange, one of the swimmers representing Team GB has dyslexia.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:

Reebok Trotter wrote:Where do you draw the line ? Some of the competitors with severe disability are a shining example of the spirit of man but someone with learning difficulties is not what I would refer to as being disabled.

why?

A disability by its nature, implies that the person has a difficulty in doing something that a (before the PC brigade jump on me - for want of a better word) 'normal' person can do with ease.

at the end of the day, they are just as good as 'normal' athletes but need assistance/extra equipment or a change in the rules to allow them to so something they love.

personally - I dont feel uncomfortable watching a sprinter with no legs or a basketball player in a wheelchair, they are doing something they love doing, just as shame for them that they cant do it in the 'normal' way...

So a person who has learning difficulties at school, plays table-tennis in the Paralympics for ParalympicGB, and is one of the top in the sport and could easily beat quite a few, if not the most, in the able-bodied games - I wouldn't call that a disability as there are many people who have difficulty learning at school but outside school can pick of things quite easily. to me that is one step too far.

WhiteBic wrote:It is a bit strange, one of the swimmers representing Team GB has dyslexia.

Apologies for being pedantic but Team GB are not partaking in the Paralympics, but ParalympicGB are. And they are a different set-up/organisation to Team GB.

It's just a means for people from around the world with disabilities to get together and compete at sport, neither brilliant or an attempt at politcal correctness IMO. I'm not a huge fan of watching the Paralympics, for the same reason I'm not a huge fan of watching club cricket or amateur football, I prefer to watch elite level sport.

Can't really see why anyone would have a problem with it, other than this time round and the taxpayer funded element I suppose, but it doesn't matter what the government spends money on, there are always people who would prefer it were spent elsewhere. Usually on something that benefits them personally.

If they've come up with a grading system so someone with one arm can compete against someone with one leg or whatever, good luck to them. It's only once every four years.

7 wheelchair athletes have been banned from the Paralympics after they tested positive for WD40. Where does it all end ?

I can't wait for the Tourette's 200 metres..

On yer marks...

Get set....

FUCK OFF....

Nicked this of Ww, made me laugh.


I met a bloke in a wheelchair today, his face was battered and bruised.

"What happened to your face?" I asked.
"I'm a Paralympian." He replied.
"Boxing?" I asked.
"No..." He said, "...Hurdles."

Ellie Simmonds has just won a second gold medal in the swimming. For those that haven't heard of her she is a dwarf. I read somewhere that describing someone as a dwarf is not politically correct and could cause offence.

The correct term, I kid you not, is Porg. ( Person of restricted growth)

Reebok Trotter wrote:Ellie Simmonds has just won a second gold medal in the swimming. For those that haven't heard of her she is a dwarf. I read somewhere that describing someone as a dwarf is not politically correct and could cause offence.

The correct term, I kid you not, is Porg. ( Person of restricted growth)

You just made that up. Surely.

LH, I did a double take when I saw it because I had never heard the word before but it is the correct terminology.

Sadly its a load of bollocks. Its like the women's football/rugby/cricket world cup - a load of bollocks but all sports have a big competition/tournament.

I don't think the paralympics is PC nonsense, but I think giving it wall to wall TV coverage is. No one gives a shit.

I find it awkward watching these people with missing limbs, its awfully sad for these people.

I find some of the events bizarre, you have the guy with no legs running against some bloke who is hard of hearing. You've got a guy doing the pole vault who has no arms. You've got sports that just don't work - wheelchair badminton/tennis.

Sadly its a load of nonsense but its nice that these people can have their big day.

Watching the Paralympics has made me wonder....

If they can run faster than I can, swim better than I can, lift heavier weights than I can, why the fcuk do they need to park closer to Asda than me?

I have no interest in watching the Paralympics although I found I was far more interested in the Olympics than I expected. There just seems to be an air of artificiality about most of the events. Some of these athletes could apparently compete in the Olympics if they chose and if they were good enough. At least one of them has - Pistorius. So much seems to depend on the assistance of other people or special equipment or the weighting system being used that I wonder how much is down to the individual athlete.

I don't begrudge the support that the disabled receive although I think the media coverage of the Paralympics is a bit excessive.