Paralympics A to Z: On Wheels, Too

We’ll close out our survey of sporting events lined up for the Paralympic Games of London 2012, with the two remaining disciplines – also exclusive to wheelchair-based participants:

Wheelchair Rugby, and Wheelchair Tennis.

Thanks, as always, to the good people at the official London 2012 Paralympics website:

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

for facts and figures.

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair Rugby was invented in 1977 by a group of Canadian quadriplegic athletes, who were looking for an alternative to Wheelchair Basketball that would allow players with reduced arm and hand function to participate on equal terms. The sport incorporates some elements of Basketball, Handball and Ice Hockey.

The aim of Wheelchair Rugby is to take the ball over the opponent’s goal line. Two wheels of the chair must cross the line, and the athlete must be in control of the ball, which may be held in their lap. Contact between wheelchairs is permitted, but physical contact between players is not.

Participants must have a disability that affects both the arms and the legs.

Every player is assigned a point value based on their functional ability, from 0.5 for a player with the least physical function through to 3.5 for the greatest physical function. During play, the total on-court value for each team of four players cannot exceed 8.

Wheelchair Rugby is played on a court 28m long and 15m wide. The court is divided into two halves, with a center circle and a goal line and key area at each end. The key areas are 8m wide and 1.75m deep. The sport is played with a regulation volleyball.

The game starts with a tip-off. A player from each side attempts to tip the ball, from the referee’s throw, to a member of their team.

From the moment they gain possession, a team has just 40 seconds to score a goal.

Teams may not have more than three players in their key area while defending their goal line, and an attacking player may not be in the opposition key area for longer than 10 seconds.

Players may throw, bat or roll the ball, but kicking it is not allowed.

A match consists of four eight-minute quarters, with the clock stopped every time there is a stoppage in play. With breaks, time-outs and stoppages, matches typically last about an hour and a quarter. In the event of a tie, extra periods of three minutes are played until the tie is broken.

The game is supervised by two referees, who are responsible for ensuring that the game is played fairly and within the rules. They are assisted by three table officials: a scorekeeper, a timekeeper, and a penalty timekeeper. A third referee, the technical commissioner, supervises the work of the table officials.

Common fouls occur when a player violates the rules during a genuine attempt to play the game. The penalty for a common foul is a loss of possession if committed by a player on the offensive team, or a one-minute penalty, if committed by a player on the defensive team.

If a defensive foul is committed when the offensive team is in an imminent scoring position, the referee may award a penalty goal in lieu of a one-minute penalty.

A player who is serving a one-minute penalty for a common foul is released from the penalty box after one minute of time has elapsed on the game clock, or if the opposing team scores a goal.

Common fouls include infringements such as charging, pushing or holding another player.

A technical foul covers unsportsmanlike conduct, such as being disrespectful or playing with an illegal chair. Technical fouls are given a one-minute penalty.

A flagrant foul is any foul that shows blatant disregard for another player’s safety. The referee awards a common foul plus a technical foul, to be served consecutively. A penalty goal may be awarded in place of the common foul, but the offending player must still serve the one-minute penalty for the technical foul.

A disqualifying foul is for serious offences such as fighting. A player will be ejected from the match. A substitute is then allowed, but must serve a one-minute penalty.

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared in the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, when it featured as a demonstration sport. Its debut as a full medal event followed at Sydney 2000, when the US beat Australia 32-31 to win the gold medal.

At London 2012, eight mixed teams of men and women will compete, with 12 athletes (four players and eight substitutes) on each team.

Each country is limited to one team.

The competition begins with a round-robin stage – the eight teams are divided into two groups of four. The top two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners then going head-to-head in the final.

Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair Tennis was invented in 1976 by Brad Parks, who had been experimenting with tennis as a recreational therapy after he was injured in a freestyle skiing competition.

The sport is now fully integrated into all four Grand Slam Tennis events.

The court is the same size as that for mainstream Olympic Tennis.

The singles court is 23.77m long and 8.23m wide, and the doubles court is wider, at 10.97m wide.

The court is divided in half by a net, which is 91cm high.

The sport follows similar rules to Tennis, with one key exception: the ball is allowed to bounce twice, and only the first bounce must be within the boundaries of the court. All matches are played over the best of three sets.

After featuring as an exhibition sport at the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, Wheelchair Tennis was introduced as a full medal event at the Barcelona 1992 Games, and has featured at every Games since then.

The competition program looks like this:

Men’s Competition

Men’s Singles
Men’s Doubles

Women’s Competition

Women’s Singles
Women’s Doubles

Quad Competition

Quad Singles
Quad Doubles

Quad players have an impairment that affects three or more limbs. Men and women compete together in the Quad events.

Each country is limited to four athletes each in the men’s and women’s Singles, three athletes in the Quad Singles, two teams (four athletes) each in the men’s and women’s Doubles, and one team (two athletes) in the Quad Doubles.

The tournament is a knockout format, with the winners of the semi-finals in each event going head-to-head for the gold medals.

An umpire is in charge of the match, ensuring that the rules of the game are observed and calling out the score after each point. The umpire is assisted by line judges, who keep an eye on whether the ball lands in our out of court.

Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands is unbeaten in more than 450 matches, one of the longest winning streaks in any sport. Her last loss was in January 2003.

So. I hope you’re all set, for 2012, now.

The Paralympic Games are due to begin, and (if you’ve been keeping up with this series) you’ll have a firm knowledge of what to expect.

Should be quite an event.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: Two, On Wheels

Our rundown of the sports due to feature in the Paralympic Games of London 2012 now considers two events exclusive to wheelchair-based participants:

Wheelchair Basketball, and Wheelchair Fencing.

Thanks to the team at

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

the official London 2012 Paralympics website, for facts and figures.

Here we go.

Wheelchair Basketball

Wheelchair Basketball was developed by American World War II veterans as part of their rehabilitation program, but its popularity soon spread around the world. The game is now played in more than 80 countries.

Athletes with different disabilities compete together in Wheelchair Basketball.

Each player is assigned a point value based on his/her functional ability, from 1.0 for a player with the least physical function, through to 4.5 for the greatest physical function. During play, the total on-court point value for each team of five players cannot exceed 14.

Top Wheelchair Basketball players use specially-designed titanium chairs that cost more than £3,500 Sterling, and can last for as little as six months during periods of high-level competition.

Wheelchair Basketball featured at the first Games in Rome 1960, and has remained on the Paralympic program, ever since. The women’s competition was added at the Tel Aviv 1968 Games.

Like its mainstream Olympic equivalent, the Wheelchair Basketball court is 28m long and 15m wide. The baskets at either end are 3.05m above the ground. The court is divided into two halves, with a free-throw line 5.8m inside either end, and the three-point line a 6.75m radius from each basket.

Twelve teams compete in the men’s, and 10 in the women’s competitions, with 12 athletes (five players and seven substitutes) on each team.

Each country is limited to one men’s and one women’s team.

The rules of Wheelchair Basketball are broadly similar to Basketball.

The court is the same size, the basket is at the same height, and the scoring is identical: two points for a regular shot from open play, one point for each successful free throw, and three points for a shot from distance (6.75m from the basket).

Players move the ball around the court by passing or dribbling, and are required to throw or bounce the ball after every two pushes of the wheels on their chairs, to avoid being penalized for traveling.

There are 12 players in each team, with no more than five on court.

Games last for 40 minutes, split into four 10-minute quarters. The clock stops for every break in play, and teams can call time-outs which last one minute.

Both the men’s and women’s tournaments begin with a round-robin.

The 12 men’s teams are divided into two groups of six teams; the 10 women’s teams are divided into groups of five. The top four teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, from which point the tournaments are played in a knockout format.

A referee oversees each game, assisted by two umpires. There are also table officials who are timers, and scorers and statisticians who record all the action. A game commissioner also sits with the table officials next to the court.

Violations are not committed against another player, but include offences such as taking more than two pushes of the wheels with the ball (traveling), being out of bounds, or rising out of the seat of the chair to gain an advantage. Violations result in the ball being awarded to the opposition.

Fouls are offences that are committed against an opposition player. While contact between players and chairs is not necessarily against the rules, referees will penalize deliberate blocking, pushing or charging.

In the case of fouls, the opposition team is awarded a throw-in close to where the infringement took place. If the player who was fouled was trying to shoot a goal at the time, then one or more free throws will be awarded, depending on where the foul took place.

Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair Fencing was developed in the years after World War II at Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.

Three types of weapon are used in Wheelchair Fencing. In bouts using the Foil and the slightly heavier Epée, hits are scored by hitting an opponent with the tip of the weapon. In Sabre, hits are more commonly scored with the edge of the weapon.

The target area for Foil is limited to the opponent’s torso, while competitors in Sabre and Epée events may be hit anywhere above the waist.

Fencers wear protective gear including masks, jackets, breeches and gloves. Fencers also wear a wire to enable hits to be recorded electronically.

Fencing takes place on a piste measuring 4m x 1.5m.

Athletes compete in wheelchairs that are fixed into a frame fastened to the floor. This gives them freedom of movement in their upper bodies, while keeping them fixed in their chairs.

The distance between the two fencers is determined by the athlete with the shorter arm reach, who decides if the distance between competitors will be set at the length of their opponent’s reach or their own.

Wheelchair frames are designed so that fencers can compete against each other whether they are right- or left-handed.

A referee oversees each Fencing bout. The referee is assisted by a video referee and, in the later stages of the competition, two assistant referees, who look for rule infringements.

The referee will be looking out for offences such as weapons touching the floor once a bout is underway, or a Foil covering the valid target with the unarmed hand. An athlete’s foot must not leave the chair’s foot rest, or use the floor for advantage, and the athlete must remain seated at all times.

Classification is limited to A and B.
Athletes in the B category have an impairment with a greater impact on their functional ability.

The competition schedule is as follows:

Men’s competition

Men’s Individual Foil – Category A
Men’s Individual Foil – Category B
Men’s Individual Epee – Category A
Men’s Individual Epee – Category B
Men’s Individual Sabre – Category A
Men’s Individual Sabre – Category B
Men’s Team – Category Open

Women’s competition

Women’s Individual Foil – Category A
Women’s Individual Foil – Category B
Women’s Individual Epee – Category A
Women’s Individual Epee – Category B
Women’s Team – Category Open

Each country is limited to six men and four women, including a limit of two athletes in each event.

And that’s your limit, for this one.

See you next time. I hope.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: TT and SV

This session, we’ll consider two net-based disciplines, scheduled for the upcoming Paralympic Games of London 2012.

My thanks to the folks at:

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

the official London 2012 Paralympics website, for facts and figures.

Today:

Table Tennis, and Sitting Volleyball.

Table Tennis

With 29 medal events and nearly 300 athletes, Table Tennis is one of the largest sports on the Paralympic program.

Wheelchair Table Tennis has been part of the Paralympic program since the first Games at Rome in 1960 (28 years before the sport made its mainstream Olympic debut). Events for standing players were first included at the Toronto 1976 Games.

Poland’s Natalia Partyka made her Paralympic debut at Sydney 2000 – aged just 11. She competed at both the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is one of only two athletes to do so.

At London 2012, the schedule of matches will look like this:

Men’s competition

Men’s Team – Class 3
Men’s Team – Class 4-5
Men’s Team – Class 6-8
Men’s Team – Class 9-10
Men’s Singles – Class 1
Men’s Singles – Class 2
Men’s Singles – Class 3
Men’s Singles – Class 4
Men’s Singles – Class 5
Men’s Singles – Class 6
Men’s Singles – Class 7
Men’s Singles – Class 8
Men’s Singles – Class 9
Men’s Singles – Class 10
Men’s Singles – Class 11
Men’s Team – Class 1-2

Women’s competition

Women’s Team – Class 1-3
Women’s Team – Class 4-5
Women’s Team – Class 6-10
Women’s Singles – Class 1-2
Women’s Singles – Class 3
Women’s Singles – Class 4
Women’s Singles – Class 5
Women’s Singles – Class 6
Women’s Singles – Class 7
Women’s Singles – Class 8
Women’s Singles – Class 9
Women’s Singles – Class 10
Women’s Singles – Class 11

Each country is limited to three athletes in each Singles event, and one team in each Team event.

Classification of athletes takes this form:

1-5: wheelchair athletes
6-10: standing athletes
11: athletes with intellectual disabilities

Within the wheelchair and standing classes, the lower the number, the greater the impact the impairment has on an athlete’s ability to compete.

The Table Tennis table is the same as that for mainstream Olympic matches: 2.74m long and 1.525m wide. It is 76cm above the floor and divided in half by a 15.25cm-high net.

Table Tennis is based on the same basic principles as Tennis, but it has a very different scoring system. Singles matches are played over the best of five games, with the first player to 11 points (by a margin of two clear points) winning each game. Team matches consist of four singles matches and one doubles match, each played over the best of five games.

Each team consists of either two, three or four players, and matches end when a team has won three individual games.

In Doubles matches, standing players take turns to hit the ball, with one hit each before alternating. In wheelchair Doubles, either player of the pair may make returns after the receiver has returned the serve.

Unlike in Tennis where a player serves for a whole game, in Table Tennis the service changes after every two points have been scored. Once the score gets to 10-10, the serve changes after every point. In Doubles games, as well as the serve alternating between teams, it alternates between players, too.

The Singles events start with a group stage, with the best players progressing to the knockout stages. The Team events are run in a knockout format. Players and teams progress through the draw until the finals. The winners of the semi-finals play in the gold medal match and the losers of the semi-finals compete for the bronze medal.

An umpire and assistant umpire sit or stand on either side of the table, in line with the net. They are responsible for ensuring the game is played within the rules and that the score is kept and announced accurately.

Sitting Volleyball

Sitting Volleyball emerged in the Netherlands in the 1950s, a combination of Volleyball and a German game called Sitzbal. It is now played by athletes in more than 50 countries around the world.

Sitting Volleyball is played by two teams of six.

The object of the game is to land the ball in the opposition’s half of the court.

The rules of Sitting Volleyball are very similar to its mainstream Olympic counterpart. However, a part of an athlete’s body between the buttocks and the shoulder must be in contact with the court whenever a shot, or attempt at a shot, is made.

Each team is allowed three touches of the ball before it must cross over the net (in addition to a legal block).

The key attacking move is the set and spike, in which a player feeds the ball (the set) for a teammate to hit it into the opposition’s court (the spike).

The match starts with three front-row players in a line near the net, and three back-row players in a line towards the back of the court. At each serving opportunity, the players rotate one space.

Each team has the opportunity to have one libero amongst their players on court. The libero is a specialist defensive player, and may not play any attacking shots. The libero is easy to identify, as their kit is a different color to the rest of the team.

The Sitting Volleyball court is 10m long and 6m wide. It is divided into two halves by a net that is 1.15m high for the men’s game, and 1.05m high for the women’s.

Ten teams compete in the men’s, and eight teams in the women’s competitions, with 11 athletes on each team (six players and five substitutes).

Each country is limited to one men’s and one women’s team.

In Sitting Volleyball there are two categories of classification: disabled and minimal disablility. A maximum of one minimally disabled player may be on the court for each team at any one time.

Both the men’s and women’s Sitting Volleyball competitions begin with a preliminary phase. The teams in each event are divided into two pools of five in the men’s, and two groups of four in the women’s competition. Each team plays every other team in their pool. The top eight teams in the men’s, and the top four teams in the women’s competition qualify for the knockout phase, with the winners of the semi-finals going head to head for the gold medal.

All matches are the best of five sets, with the first four sets going to 25 points. The fifth set goes to 15 points, and all sets must be won with at least a two-point advantage.

Two referees oversee each game. They are assisted by scorers, who sit at the scorers’ table, and line judges, who stand at the corners of the court and indicate various line faults with the use of flags.

A card system is used for more serious infringements, such as rude conduct. A yellow card results in a point being awarded to the opposition, a red card will see a player expelled for the remainder of the set, and a red and yellow card together means disqualification for the rest of the match, but with no loss of points.

When a player is expelled or disqualified, if a team is able to make a legal substitution, they are forced to replace the player. If a team is left with fewer than six players or no legal substitutions remaining, they will automatically concede the set or match respectively.

Sitting Volleyball made its debut as a Paralympic medal sport at the Arnhem 1980 Games. The women’s event was added to the Paralympic program in 2004.

Okay. That’s it, for now.

See you soon, I hope.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: S; the Treble

Indeed.

Today, or tour of the Paralympics landscape takes in three disciplines, encompassing a diverse range of skills:

Sailing, Shooting, and Swimming.

My thanks, as ever, to the people behind the official London 2012 Paralympics website:

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

for facts and figures.

We begin.

Sailing

Sailing for athletes with a disability began to develop as a competitive sport in the 1980s. It was introduced to the Paralympic Games as a demonstration event at Atlanta 1996.

The sport’s name was changed from Yachting to Sailing at the Sydney 2000 Games, where it became a full medal event.

80 athletes will be sailing for gold in the waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

There will be three medal events:

Mixed competition

Single-Person Keelboat (2.4mR)
Three-Person Keelboat (Sonar)
Two-Person Keelboat (SKUD18)

What’s a keelboat?

Well, the yachts used in Paralympic Sailing have keels – longitudinal beams (or plates) of the hull of a vessel. Keels can extend vertically into the water to provide lateral stability. These keelboats also have open cockpits to allow more room for the sailors.

Each country is limited to one boat in each event (six athletes in total).

The classification system for Sailing assigns a point score to each athlete based on the athlete’s ability to perform tasks specific to the sport. The higher the point score, the more ability the athlete is considered to have.

Classification is used to level the playing field where there are a variety of disability levels. In the Three-Person Keelboat, for example, the total classification points of all three sailors must not exceed a maximum of 14.

Each event consists of 11 races. Points in each race are awarded according to position: the winner gets one point, the second-placed finisher scores two, and so on. The individual or crew with the fewest total points is declared the winner.

All races are fleet races; all boats start at the same time. In each event, points from the worst race are discarded. The remaining points are added together to give an overall score to determine the medals.

Officials will include equipment inspectors (ensuring all equipment is within the rules of the class and the competition), international judges (making decisions on the rules, and applying penalties when necessary), and international race officers (ensuring all races are run fairly and within the rules of the competition).

Penalties include having to take an extra one or two turns (turning your boat 360 or 720 degrees through the wind), or receiving a scoring penalty.

Shooting

Shooting is a test of accuracy and control, in which athletes use pistols or rifles to fire at static targets.

Shooting competitions last for between 75 and 120 minutes.

At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, 12 events are being held in the historic surroundings of The Royal Artillery Barracks:

Men’s competition

Men’s R1-10m Air Rifle Standing-SH1
Men’s R7-50m Rifle 3 Positions-SH1
Men’s P1-10m Air Pistol-SH1

Women’s competition

Women’s R2-10m Air Rifle Standing-SH1
Women’s R8-50m Rifle 3 Positions-SH1
Women’s P2-10m Air Pistol-SH1

Mixed competition

Mixed R3-10m Air Rifle Prone-SH1
Mixed R4-10m Air Rifle Standing-SH2
Mixed R5-10m Air Rifle Prone-SH2
Mixed R6-50m Rifle Prone-SH1
Mixed P3-25m Pistol-SH1
Mixed P4-50m Pistol-SH1

Each country is limited to three athletes in each event, with a total of five athletes across all events.

Classification for the athletes is based on the following standards:

SH1 – athletes who can support the weight of their firearm themselves
SH2 – athletes who use a shooting stand for support

Athletes shoot at stationary targets in a range, shooting from a distance of 10m, 25m and 50m.

In both Rifle and Pistol events, competitors aim at a 10-ringed target and (depending on the event), athletes are required to shoot from standing, kneeling or prone (lying down) positions.

Shooters fire at paper targets containing concentric scoring rings. In the qualification rounds, each ring is worth points from one to 10, with one point as the outer ring and 10 at the center.

In the final, the outside ring is worth 10 points and the center is worth 10.9 points.

Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto 1976, when three events were held.

Since the Sydney 2000 Games, a standard 12 events have been included.

Swimming

With 600 swimmers competing in nearly 150 medal events across 10 days in the new Aquatics Centre, the Swimming competition at the Paralympic Games boasts the second largest number of athletes and events at the Games:

Men’s competition

Men’s 50m Freestyle
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Men’s 200m Freestyle
Men’s 400m Freestyle
Men’s 1500m Freestyle
Men’s 100m Backstroke
Men’s 200m Backstroke
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
Men’s 100m Butterfly
Men’s 200m Butterfly
Men’s 200m Individual Medley
Men’s 400m Individual Medley
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Men’s 10km Marathon

Women’s competition

Women’s 50m Freestyle
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Women’s 200m Freestyle
Women’s 400m Freestyle
Women’s 800m Freestyle
Women’s 100m Backstroke
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Women’s 100m Breaststroke
Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Women’s 100m Butterfly
Women’s 200m Butterfly
Women’s 200m Individual Medley
Women’s 400m Individual Medley
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Women’s 10km Marathon

Each country is limited to 34 men and 26 women, and to a maximum of three athletes in each individual event.

Swimmers are classified according to how their impairment affects their ability to perform each stroke.

Classes are:

1-10: athletes with physical impairments. Class 1 swimmers’ impairment has the greatest impact on their ability to perform strokes; class 10 swimmers’ has the least impact.
11-13: athletes with a visual impairment. Class 11 swimmers have little or no sight; class 13 swimmers have limited sight.
14: athletes with an intellectual impairment compete in class 14.

There are four strokes used in Paralympic competition:
Freestyle (essentially, front crawl), Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly.

All four strokes feature in the Individual Medley (apart from the 150m Individual Medley, where only Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle feature) and Medley Relay events. Swimmers also compete in Freestyle Relay.

Breaststroke uses greater leg propulsion than any other stroke, therefore athletes with a physical impairment often have a different class for this event than for Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly. This is also taken into account when athletes compete in the Individual Medley.

In all events other than the Backstroke, swimmers usually start with a dive from the starting podium. In Paralympic competition aided starts are allowed, such as from standing beside the podium, from a sitting position, in the water or having assistance with balance while on the podium. In no cases may this allow an unfair advantage.

When turning and finishing, some part of the swimmers body must touch the end wall of the pool.

Visually impaired swimmers wear blackened goggles to ensure that competition is fair. Goggles are removed at the end of the race and checked by an official. They each have someone acting as a ‘tapper’, who uses a pole to tap the swimmer when they approach the wall, indicating when they should turn or end the race.

The swimming pool is 50m long, 25m wide and three meters deep. It is divided into 10 lanes, although only the center eight lanes are used for the Games.

Paralympic races in the pool are conducted over a variety of distances, from 50m (one length of the pool) up to 400m (eight lengths). The first athlete to touch the electronic finishing pad at the end of the pool in each race is the winner.

Races start with heats, the number of which depends on the number of swimmers in the event.

Swimmers are seeded in advance and these seedings are used to determine the heat each swimmer starts in. The top seeds will be placed in different heats.

Seedings are also used to determine the lane each athlete will swim in. The higher the seeding, the closer swimmer is to the center lanes of the pool.

The top eight swimmers from the heats progress to the final. As in the heats, the swimmers’ seedings are used to decide which lane they are allocated.

Swimming is one of the few sports to have featured at every Paralympic Games since Rome 1960.

That’s it, for this session.

Keep it here, for our next instalment.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: J, P, R

Justice, Peace, Reconciliation?

No. But, as the tagline for a non-governmental organization, it’s not bad.
(Interested parties, please let me know.)

Our roundup of sports scheduled for the upcoming London 2012 Paralympic Games today considers

Judo, Powerlifting, and Rowing.

My thanks to the official London 2012 Paralympics website team

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

for facts and figures.

Here we go.

Judo

Developed from jujitsu and established as a sport in the late 19th century by Dr Jigoro Kano, Judo is the only martial art on the Paralympic program. It is contested at the Paralympic Games by visually impaired athletes.

Three classes of athletes compete in Judo: B1, B2 and B3. B1 athletes are classed as blind, while B2 and B3 have different degrees of visual impairment. All athletes compete together.

B1 athletes have a red circle sewn on to the sleeves of their judogi (judo suits). This is so that the officials can apply the rules according to their special circumstances. Similarly, when an athlete is also deaf as well as visually impaired, a small blue circle will be attached on the back of the judogi.

There is very little variation between Paralympic Judo and its mainstream Olympic counterpart. The principal difference is that in order to orientate themselves, players must have physical contact with their opponent, before each contest begins.

Judo contests are fought on a mat, or tatami. The contest area is 8m x 8m, with a 1m safety area all the way around.

Two athletes (judokas) gain points for throws, holds, armlocks and strangles in a bid to beat their opponent.

A contest lasts for five minutes, with the athlete who has the highest score at the end of the contest the winner.

The contest will stop immediately if one judoka achieves ippon – the maximum score, two waza-ari (a lower score), or if the opponent either submits or is disqualified.

The scores of waza-ari and yuko depend on how the opponent lands upon being thrown, and how long a judoka can immobilise their opponent on their back.

The referee gets the contest underway by shouting ‘Hajime!’ and stops it by shouting ‘Matte!’

The referee stays in the combat area, while two line judges sit just outside it to rule on holds and confirm refereeing decisions. Decisions are communicated to the athletes by touch as well, if necessary.

In the event of a tie on points after five minutes, the contest enters a golden score period, when the first score wins. If neither scores during the period, a panel of two judges and referee decides the winner.

Each country is limited to a total of six men and five women, apart from Great Britain as the host nation, which is allowed seven men and six women. No nation may have more than one athlete in each event.

The schedule of events looks like this:

Men’s competition

Men’s -60 kg
Men’s -66 kg
Men’s -73 kg
Men’s -81 kg
Men’s -90 kg
Men’s -100 kg
Men’s +100 kg

Women’s competition

Women’s -48 kg
Women’s -52 kg
Women’s -57 kg
Women’s -63 kg
Women’s -70 kg
Women’s +70 kg

Athletes compete in weight categories.

The competition is run in an elimination format with double repechage. Athletes are divided into two tables (A and B), then further subdivided into groups (A1, A2, B1 and B2). An elimination system determines the winners of tables A and B, who compete in the gold medal contest.

Athletes who are defeated by one of the four eventual group winners during the initial stages enter the repechage of their respective groups. The repechage winner of A1 fights the repechage winner of A2, and the repechage winner of group B1 fights the repechage winner of B2.

The winners of the repechage table finals go on to fight the semi-final losers from the opposite tables for the two bronze medals.

Judo first featured on the Paralympic program at Seoul 1988, with women’s events introduced 16 years later in Athens.

Powerlifting

Powerlifting is a bench-press competition – the ultimate test of upper-body strength.

After its introduction to the Paralympic Games at Tokyo in 1964 (when it was billed as Weightlifting), the sport now known as Powerlifting expanded to include athletes with cerebral palsy or spinal injuries, lower-limb amputees and ‘les autres’ (‘the other’ disability groups).

Women made their Powerlifting debut at Sydney 2000.

Athletes compete while lying on a 4m x 4m platform, which is raised no higher than 50cm from the ground.

The athletes must meet minimum eligibility criteria based on their impairment. They are then grouped by bodyweight for competition – which means athletes with different impairments compete for the same medals.

There are 10 different weight categories for men and for women:

Men’s competition

Men’s -48 kg
Men’s -52 kg
Men’s -56 kg
Men’s -60 kg
Men’s -67.50 kg
Men’s -75 kg
Men’s -82.50 kg
Men’s -90 kg
Men’s -100 kg
Men’s +100 kg

Women’s competition

Women’s -40 kg
Women’s -44 kg
Women’s -48 kg
Women’s -52 kg
Women’s -56 kg
Women’s -60 kg
Women’s -67.50 kg
Women’s -75 kg
Women’s -82.50 kg
Women’s +82.50 kg

Each country is limited to a total of 16 athletes (eight men and eight women), with a maximum of one athlete in each event.

Powerlifters must lower the bench-press bar to their chest, hold it motionless, and then press it upwards to arm’s length while keeping their elbows locked. Athletes are given three attempts, and the winner is the athlete who lifts the largest weight (measured in kilograms).

The top three reasons for having a lift disqualified are: not fully extending the arms; not lifting the bar in a single, smooth movement; or not holding the bar motionless on the chest.

As well as not being able to lift the weight required, the judges will penalize illegal or incorrect technique. For instance, it is judged a time-out if the athlete fails to start the lift within the allocated time, an athlete’s head may not lift from the bench, and hands must not be more than 81cm apart.

Rowing

Appearing at the Paralympic Games for only the second time, the sport of Rowing will be held on the waters at Eton Dorney during London 2012. The lake at Eton Dorney is 2,200m long, with eight lanes. Race distances for the Paralympic Games are 1,000m, with only six lanes used.

Rowing made its Paralympic debut in Beijing 2008 – when Great Britain topped the medal table.

Paralympic Rowing has three categories of classification, indicating the amount of functional ability a rower has:

AS – arms and shoulders
TA – trunk and arms
LTA – legs, trunk and arms

A rower may compete in a higher category, but not a lower one: AS and TA rowers may compete in LTA events, but an LTA athlete may not compete in a TA race.

Adaptive rowing boats are equipped with special seats, which vary according to the disability of the athlete.

The sport itself is commonly referred to as ‘adaptive rowing’, as the equipment is adapted so the athlete can practise the sport (rather than the sport being adapted to the athlete).

Rowing events are head-to-head races.

The races start with two heats; the winning boat from each heat progresses straight to final A.

All events include a repechage – a series of further races to qualify boats for finals, and to rank all boats in order of performance.

The best four boats from the repechage go through to final A, with the others competing in final B (which ranks boats from seven to 12).

Each country is limited to one boat per event (eight athletes in total).

The competition is set out as below:

Men’s competition

Men’s Single Sculls – ASM1x

Women’s competition

Women’s Single Sculls – ASW1x

Mixed competition

Mixed Double Sculls – TAMix2x
Mixed Coxed Four – LTAMix4+

Single sculling boats are equipped with buoyancy devices called pontoons, which act as stabilizers attached to the riggers of the boat, providing additional lateral balance.

Sculling is rowing with two oars, one in each hand.

Sweeping is rowing with one oar.

And I’m sweeping out of here. For now.

See you, for the next edition.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: Foot, or Goal

It doesn’t matter. Score enough, in each one, and you’ll win.

Today, our survey of Paralympic sports takes in three goal-related disciplines:

Football 5-a-side, Football 7-a-side, and Goalball.

Respect, to the good people at

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

the official London 2012 Paralympics website, for provision of facts and figures.

Here we go.

Football 5-a-side

Played by visually impaired athletes using a ball with a noise-making device inside (so players can hear it when it is on the ground or in the air), 5-a-side Football will see eight teams battling for gold at the new Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park.

Each team has a squad of eight athletes per team.

Each country is limited to one team.

Although athletes may have different degrees of visual impairment, all four outfield players must wear blackout masks to ensure fairness. The goalkeeper may be fully sighted.

The pitch (field of play) is 42m long and 22m wide, with goals at either end 3m wide and 2m high.

The pitch is divided into thirds, with each team allowed one (sighted) guide for each third of the pitch to call out instructions: the attacking third; the midfield third, for which the team’s coach is the guide; and the defensive third, for which the goalkeeper serves as the guide.

The pitch is surrounded with a rebound wall; the sport is played with no throw-ins and no offside rule, which ensures non-stop action.

A referee oversees each game, assisted by a second referee.

If a player commits five personal fouls, they are sent off for the rest of the match. Some infringements will lead to the opposition team being awarded a free kick, giving them possession. If a player is fouled inside the goal area, he is awarded a penalty kick, which can lead to a goal.

Matches are played over two halves of 25 minutes each, plus 10 minutes for half-time.

5-a-side Football made its Paralympic debut at Athens in 2004.

The Paralympic tournament features eight men’s teams, initially two groups of four teams in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group qualify for the semi-finals, with the winning semi-finalists going head to head for the gold.

In the group matches, games can be played to a draw. In the semi-finals, if scores are tied the game goes straight to a penalty shoot-out. In the final, if scores are tied at the end of full time, two five-minute periods of extra time are played. If scores are still tied after this, the game goes to a penalty shoot-out of five shots per team, followed by sudden-death penalties if necessary.

David Clarke, who is likely to play for Great Britain, has scored 113 goals in 120 appearances for his country – an average of 0.94 goals per game. (Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney averages 0.37 goals per game for England.)

Football 7-a-side

7-a-side Football is played by athletes with cerebral palsy. They are classified as follows:

C5 – athletes with difficulties when walking and running, but not when standing or kicking a ball.

C6 – athletes with control and coordination problems of their upper limbs, especially when running.

C7 – athletes with coordination problems in one arm and leg on the same side of the body.

C8 – minimal disability athletes; they must meet eligibility criteria and have an obvious impairment that has an impact on their ability to play football.

Teams must include at least one athlete with either C5 or C6 classification. If this is not possible, the team must play with six players. No more than three C8 players are allowed to play at the same time.

7-a-side Football follows FIFA rules, with some modifications. Each team consists of seven players, but the playing field is smaller (75m long and 55m wide), as are the goals (5m by 2m).

There is no offside rule. Throw-ins may be made with one hand only, and each half lasts 30 minutes.

At London 2012, the Riverbank Arena will host eight men’s teams in a 20-match tournament, culminating in the gold medal match on 9 September.

The 7-a-side Football tournament features the eight teams, with two groups of four teams playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winning semi-finalists going head to head for the gold.

In the group matches, games can be played to a draw. In the knockout stages, two 10-minute periods of extra time are played. If scores are still tied after this, the game goes to a penalty shoot-out of five kicks per team, followed by sudden-death penalties if necessary.

A referee oversees each game, assisted by two assistant referees, who are on either side of the pitch.

A player’s first offence may result in a yellow card, with a second yellow card meaning a red card and instant dismissal – leaving the other team with an extra-player advantage.

Some infringements will lead to the opposition team being awarded a free kick, giving them possession. If a player is fouled inside the goal area, he is awarded a penalty kick, providing the chance of a game-changing goal.

7-a-side Football has been part of the Paralympic program since the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games.

Goalball

Goalball was developed as a rehabilitation activity for injured soldiers returning from World War II. It is played by visually impaired athletes using a ball with bells inside.

All the athletes wear blackout masks (eyeshades) on the playing court, which allows persons with varying degrees of vision to participate together.

The Goalball court is 18m long and 9m wide. The court is divided in half by a center line, and each half is further divided into three sections by lines at 3m intervals. Each of the court lines are marked by tape and are slightly raised to allow players to orientate themselves. Goals extend across the full width of the court at either end, and are 1.3m high.

The aim is to score by rolling the ball at speed into the opposition’s goal, while the opposition attempts to block the ball with their bodies. Spectators must be quiet during play so that players can hear the ball (and each other), but they are free to cheer when a goal is scored. The team that scores the most goals is the winner.

In competition, the ball reaches speeds of 60 kilometers per hour. Players literally put their bodies on the line, to stop the fast-moving ball crossing into the goal.

The ball is not passed up the court, and each throw is effectively a shot on goal.

Each team has 10 seconds to take a throw, and any team member may take it – but not more than twice before another team member must have a turn. This includes half-time, so a player who has taken two consecutive throws at the end of the first half cannot throw at the beginning of the second half until another team member has made a shot.

Matches last for two periods of 12 minutes each, but the clock stops every time the referee blows for an infringement and starts again when play restarts. Each team is also permitted three 45-second time-outs or breaks.

In the event of a tie in the knockout stages, two further periods of three minutes each will be held, decided by a golden goal. This is followed by extra throws if necessary – similar to how a penalty shoot-out works, in Football.

Each game has two referees, four goal judges, one scorer, one timer and one back-up timer, one shot recorder, and two ten-second timers.

Introduced to the Games as a demonstration event at the Toronto 1976 Games, Goalball was added to the Paralympic program as a full medal sport four years later, in Arnhem. The women’s tournament first featured at the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games.

Both the men’s and women’s tournaments begin with a round-robin group stage. The 12 men’s teams are divided into two groups of six teams, while the 10 women’s teams are divided into two groups of five. The top four teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, from which point the tournaments are played in a knockout format.

Each country is limited to one men’s and one women’s team.

And we’ve reached the limit, for this session.

See you again, soon.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: C, C; Riders

Let’s continue our rundown of sports scheduled to feature in the upcoming (6 days, now!) Paralympic Games of London 2012.

Today: Cycling (Road and Track), and Equestrian events.

My hearty thanks to the folks at

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

the official website of the Games, for facts and figures.

Cycling Road

Cycling was originally developed as a sport for blind athletes, who first competed using tandem bicycles,which seat two riders.

Technological advances have since opened up the sport to a wider range of athletes; it is now the third largest sport on the Paralympic program.

Road Cycling was introduced as a Paralympic sport at the Stoke Mandeville/New York 1984 Paralympics.

For London 2012, the Road Race course is an 8km loop including the world-famous Brands Hatch circuit and surrounding roads.

The 32 medal events in different classifications that make up the Paralympic Road Cycling competition feature athletes with a visual impairment, cerebral palsy, amputations or other physical disabilities competing on bicycles, tricycles, tandems and hand cycles.

A tandem is used by athletes with visual impairment; the athlete sits on the back of the tandem with a sighted pilot at the front.

A hand cycle has pedals operated by hand. It has two wheels at the back and one at the front.

A tricycle – which has 3 wheels – is normally used by athletes whose balance would make them unable to race on a two-wheeled bicycle.

A bicycle is used by all other athletes, often with modifications.

Athletes are classified, according to their level of physical impairment, as follows:

B – tandem

H1-H4 – athletes use a hand cycle

T1-T2 – athletes use a tricycle

C1-C5 – athletes use a bicycle, often with modifications

The lower the athlete’s class number, the greater the impact of their impairment on their ability to compete.

Cyclists must wear protective helmets, the color of which reflects their class.

The men’s and women’s Road Race and Team events are straight finals. In each event all athletes start together, and the first athlete/team to cross the finish line is the winner.

In the Time Trials, athletes start at 60-second intervals. The one to complete the course in the fastest time is the winner.

The Team Relay events will be conducted as mass start events on a looped course. Each team will consist of three riders, with no baton or other physical contact required to enact the relays. The race will be six laps long, with each rider doing two laps.

The full competition programs will look like this:

Men’s competition

Men’s Individual H 1 Road Race
Men’s Individual H 2 Road Race
Men’s Individual H 3 Road Race
Men’s Individual H 4 Road Race
Men’s Individual C 1-3 Road Race
Men’s Individual C 4-5 Road Race
Men’s Individual B Road Race
Men’s Individual H 1 Time Trial
Men’s Individual H 2 Time Trial
Men’s Individual H 3 Time Trial
Men’s Individual H 4 Time Trial
Men’s Individual C 1 Time Trial
Men’s Individual C 2 Time Trial
Men’s Individual C 3 Time Trial
Men’s Individual C 4 Time Trial
Men’s Individual C 5 Time Trial

Women’s competition

Women’s Individual H 1-3 Road Race
Women’s Individual H 4 Road Race
Women’s Individual C 1-3 Road Race
Women’s Individual C 4-5 Road Race
Women’s Individual B Road Race
Women’s Individual H 1-2 Time Trial
Women’s Individual H 3 Time Trial
Women’s Individual H 4 Time Trial
Women’s Individual C 1-3 Time Trial
Women’s Individual C 4 Time Trial
Women’s Individual C 5 Time Trial
Women’s Individual B Time Trial

Mixed competition

T 1-2 Road Race
Mixed T 1-2 Time Trial
Mixed H 1-4 Team Relay

Cycling Track

The first Track Cycling races at the Paralympic Games took place at the Atlanta 1996 Games.

At London 2012, the program features more medal events than at any previous Paralympic Games.

The track at the Velodrome is a 250m oval, banked from 12 degrees at its shallowest point to 42 degrees at its steepest.

There are 18 Paralympic Track Cycling events (10 for men, seven for women and one mixed event) testing speed, endurance and teamwork.

For Track Cycling, only bicycles and tandems are used.

The Individual Sprint is a race between two riders at a time, over three laps of the track. The two riders start side by side, usually very slowly, before building up to a full-on sprint finish. Riders usually do not want to be in the front for the full race, which is why they may slow down and use the full width of the track.

The men’s Individual Sprint event starts with a 200m time trial to determine the draw for the 16 riders. From then on the competition is a knockout, going to quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, which are all the best of three heats.

The Team Sprint starts with a qualifying round with the best two teams going forward to the final. The mixed Team Sprint event (classes C1-5) comprising men and women will be contested by teams of three riders. The two fastest teams in the qualifying round will race for the gold medal, and the teams with the third and fourth fastest times will race for the bronze medal.

In the Individual Pursuit, two opposing riders start on either side of the track. The winner is the rider who either catches the other, or records the fastest time over the full distance.

The men’s Pursuit is four kilometers long; the women’s event is three kilometers.

The Pursuit starts with a qualifying round, At the end of the qualification phase, the two riders with the fastest times will race for the gold medal, and the riders with the third and fourth fastest times will race for the bronze medal.

The Time Trial is a straightforward race – 1km for men, 500m for women. Athletes take to the track alone and the fastest time wins the gold medal.

The program of events for London 2012 is:

Men’s competition

Men’s Individual B Sprint
Men’s Individual C1 Pursuit
Men’s Individual B Pursuit
Men’s Individual C2 Pursuit
Men’s Individual C3 Pursuit
Men’s Individual C4 Pursuit
Men’s Individual B 1km Time Trial
Men’s Individual C1-2-3 1km Time Trial
Men’s Individual C4-5 1km Time Trial
Men’s Individual C5 Pursuit

Women’s competition

Women’s Individual B Pursuit
Women’s Individual C1-2-3 Pursuit
Women’s Individual C4 Pursuit
Women’s Individual C5 Pursuit
Women’s Individual B 1km Time Trial
Women’s Individual C1-2-3 500m Time Trial
Women’s Individual C4-5 500m Time Trial

Mixed competition

Mixed C1 to 5 Team Sprint

Equestrian

Equestrian events first appeared on the Paralympic programme at the 1984 Games held in Stoke Mandeville and New York, and have featured at every Games since Atlanta 1996.

Athletes with a disability have long taken part in Equestrian activities, originally as a means of rehabilitation and recreation.

Para-Equestrian Dressage developed in the 1970s, with the first events held in Great Britain and Scandinavia. The multi-disability sport has since spread around the world, and athletes from more than 40 countries now compete on a regular basis.

Visually impaired riders are permitted to use callers to help them navigate around the arena. Norway’s Ann Cecile Orr rode to a whistle, on her way to winning two silver medals at Sydney 2000 – she is totally blind.

Great Britain’s Lee Pearson has won nine Paralympic gold medals at three successive Games, along with six world titles. He has a remarkable 100 per cent success rate in Paralympic competition.

Grades are Ia, Ib, II, III and IV. Grade Ia is for athletes whose impairment has the greatest impact on their ability to ride, and Grade IV has the least impact.

The Dressage competition takes place in a 60m x 20m arena (Grade IV) or 40m x 20m (Grades I-III).

The system of grades ensures that the tests can be judged on the skill of the rider, regardless of their disability. Riders may use permitted assistive devices such as dressage crops and connecting rein bars. Visually impaired riders are permitted to use callers to help them navigate around the arena.

Athletes compete in three Dressage tests, where they have to perform a series of pre-determined movements which differ by grade and ability: a Team Test (with three to four riders per team), an Individual Championship Test, and a Freestyle Test, for which athletes choose their own movements and music. Through the tests, horse and rider must be in harmony, and the overall picture must be of lightness and rhythm.

Riders first complete the Team Test within their grades, followed by the Individual Championship Test, looking to get the best possible scores from the judges. After this the scores of both tests are added together to make the Team score, with the best three scores across all the grades counting.

Individual medals are also awarded for each grade on the merit of the Individual Championship Test.

After this riders undertake the Freestyle Test, competing for individual medals in each grade in this event.

A jury of five judges watches each athlete/horse combination and awards marks out of ten for the different movements that make up the routine, as well as the routine as a whole. These scores are then combined and turned into a percentage to give a final score.

The judges award marks using exacting standards, where even a slight imperfection will lose points. They are on the lookout for irregular or jerky movement, steps that are too large or too small, and riders and horses working well together.

There will be 78 competitors; men and women compete together in mixed events, as follows:

Mixed competition

Team Test – Grade Ia
Team Test – Grade Ib
Team Test – Grade II
Team Test – Grade III
Team Test – Grade IV
Individual Championship Test – Grade Ia
Individual Championship Test – Grade Ib
Individual Championship Test – Grade II
Individual Championship Test – Grade III
Individual Championship Test – Grade IV
Individual Freestyle Test – Grade Ia
Individual Freestyle Test – Grade Ib
Individual Freestyle Test – Grade II
Individual Freestyle Test – Grade III
Individual Freestyle Test – Grade IV

That’s it, for this session.

Hope to see you soon.

Peace.

Paralympics A to Z: A’s Two; B

Okay, so here’s my bid to redress a balance that I’m guilty of tipping, as much as anyone.

In all the razzmatazz of London 2012, the imminent start of another event is (possibly) being overlooked.

I’m talking about the Paralympics.

It’s less than a week now, till the Games begin. The flames were lit yesterday (Aug. 22nd), on the four highest mountain peaks of Great Britain – one each, in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

And I confess to knowing little or nothing about the events involved.

So, I turned to the good people at the official London 2012 Paralympics website:

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/sports/

for some facts and figures. And I’ll be giving you a series of articles to acquaint you with what’s involved.

Hey, if by my efforts here I can contribute to the viewership or following of the Games in some way, I’m more than happy to do so.

Let’s begin, with Archery, Athletics, and Boccia.

Archery

Archery was originally employed as a means of rehabilitation and recreation for people with a physical disability.

Procedures and rules for Paralympic Archery are nearly identical to those used in able-bodied (Hmm. I prefer the term ‘mainstream’, so I’ll be using it, from now on) competition.

Competition arrows are made of carbon graphite with an inner tube of aluminum.

The competition is due to take place at the Royal Artillery Barracks, and will involve some 140 competitors: 88 men, and 52 women in the following events:

Men’s competition

Men’s Individual Compound – W1
Men’s Individual Compound – Open
Men’s Individual Recurve – W1/W2
Men’s Individual Recurve – Standing
Men’s Team Recurve – Open

Women’s competition

Women’s Individual Compound – Open
Women’s Individual Recurve – W1/W2
Women’s Individual Recurve – Standing
Women’s Team Recurve – Open

Each country is limited to three athletes in each Individual event, and one team of three athletes in each Team event.

Athletes line up along a shooting line, 70m from the targets.

The object of the sport is simple: to shoot arrows as close to the center of a target as possible. As with mainstream Olympic Archery, targets are 122cm in diameter, with the gold ring at the center (worth a maximum 10 points) measuring just 12.2cm.

At the start of the competition all athletes take part in a ranking round. Athletes must shoot 72 arrows in 12 phases of six arrows each, with each athlete allowed four minutes per phase. The total score of all 72 arrows determines the rankings of each athlete. These are then used to make the draw for both the Individual and the Team competitions.

In the Individual event, matches are the best of five sets, with each set consisting of three arrows per athlete.

In the Team event, teams of three compete against each other in a best-of-24-arrows format.

Scoring judges sit in a protected area called a blind. Sitting with them is a spotter, who records each athlete’s score with the aid of a telescope.

As with their mainstream Olympic counterparts, athletes compete with both recurve bows – distinctive as the limbs curve outwards at the top – and compound bows, which feature mechanical pulleys, telescopic sights and release aids to assist in accuracy.

Men and women compete separately, both as individuals and in teams of three, and all matches are conducted as straight knockouts.

No sport has as great a Paralympic history as Archery. It featured at the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 (the modern Paralympic Games’ predecessor), and has featured on every Paralympic program since the inaugural competition in 1960.

Antonio Rebollo of Spain shot Paralympic Archery into the big time by famously firing a flaming arrow to light the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

Athletics

The Athletics competition is the largest sport at the Paralympic Games. 1,100 athletes (740 men, 360 women) will compete for 170 gold medals across track, field and road events.

Each country has been given a quota, which is limited to 80 athletes across all events.

The majority of races on the track start with heats, with the fastest athletes progressing to semi-finals and the best athlete eventually winning in the final. No track event will have more than three stages – heats, semi-finals, final.

All field events are straight finals, although in some seated throw competitions, in which large numbers of athletes are entered, the athletes start their competition in two groups and the best eight compete together for their final three trials.

Some athletes compete in wheelchairs or throwing frames, others with prostheses, and others with the guidance of a sighted companion.

Wheelchair athletes will be penalized for illegal overtaking, and visually impaired athletes who use a guide runner must cross the finish line before their guide or they will be disqualified.

To ensure that competition is fair, athletes are grouped into classes according to how much their impairment impacts on their event-specific performance.

Classes 11-13 are for athletes with a visual impairment.
Class 20 is for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
Classes 31-38 are for athletes with cerebral palsy, with classes 31 to 34 using a wheelchair to compete.
Classes 40-46 are for athletes with a loss of limb or limb deficiency.
Classes 51-58 cover wheelchair racers or field athletes who throw from a seated position.

In each class, the first digit indicates the nature of an athlete’s impairment, and the second indicates the amount of functional ability the athlete has. The lower the second number, the greater the impact on their ability to compete.

A T or an F before each two-digit number shows whether the athlete is competing in a track event or a field event.

There are three main strands to the Athletics competition:

1. Track events: divided into sprints, middle distance, long distance events and relays.

2. Field events: divided into throwing and jumping.

3. Road events: the Marathon.

The full list is as follows:

Men’s 100m – T11
Men’s 100m – T13
Men’s 100m – T35
Men’s 100m – T37
Men’s 100m – T44
Men’s 100m – T42
Men’s 100m – T51
Men’s 100m – T54
Men’s 200m – T12
Men’s 200m – T36
Men’s 200m – T34
Men’s 200m – T37
Men’s 200m – T44
Men’s 200m – T42
Men’s 200m – T53
Men’s 400m – T13
Men’s 400m – T38
Men’s 400m – T46
Men’s 400m – T53
Men’s 800m – T12
Men’s 800m – T13
Men’s 800m – T37
Men’s 800m – T52
Men’s 800m – T54
Men’s 1500m – T11
Men’s 1500m – T46
Men’s High Jump – F42
Men’s Marathon – T12
Men’s 5000m – T12
Men’s Long Jump – F11
Men’s Marathon – T54
Men’s Long Jump – F36
Men’s Long Jump – F37/38
Men’s Long Jump – F42/44
Men’s Triple Jump – F11
Men’s Triple Jump – F46
Men’s Shot Put – F20
Men’s Shot Put – F32/33/34
Men’s Shot Put – F42/44
Men’s Shot Put – F52/53
Men’s Shot Put – F57/58
Men’s Discus Throw – F35/36
Men’s Discus Throw – F44
Men’s Discus Throw – F11
Men’s Discus Throw – F40
Men’s Discus Throw – F51/52/53
Men’s Javelin Throw – F54/55/56
Men’s Javelin Throw – F42
Men’s Javelin Throw – F40
Men’s Javelin Throw – F57/58
Men’s 4x100m Relay – T11/T13
Men’s 4x400m Relay – T53/T54Men’s 100m – T12
Men’s 100m – T34
Men’s 100m – T36
Men’s 100m – T38
Men’s 100m – T46
Men’s 100m – T52
Men’s 100m – T53
Men’s 200m – T11
Men’s 200m – T13
Men’s 200m – T35
Men’s 200m – T38
Men’s 200m – T46
Men’s 200m – T52
Men’s 400m – T11
Men’s 400m – T12
Men’s 400m – T36
Men’s 400m – T44
Men’s 400m – T52
Men’s 400m – T54
Men’s 800m – T36
Men’s 800m – T46
Men’s 800m – T53
Men’s 1500m – T13
Men’s 1500m – T37
Men’s 1500m – T20
Men’s 1500m – T54
Men’s 5000m – T11
Men’s Marathon – T46
Men’s High Jump – F46
Men’s 5000m – T54
Men’s Long Jump – F13
Men’s Long Jump – F20
Men’s Long Jump – F46
Men’s Triple Jump – F12
Men’s Shot Put – F11/12
Men’s Shot Put – F37/38
Men’s Shot Put – F34
Men’s Shot Put – F40
Men’s Shot Put – F46
Men’s Shot Put – F54/55/56
Men’s Discus Throw – F32/33/34
Men’s Discus Throw – F37/38
Men’s Discus Throw – F57/58
Men’s Discus Throw – F42
Men’s Discus Throw – F54/55/56
Men’s Javelin Throw – F44
Men’s Javelin Throw – F12/13
Men’s Javelin Throw – F33/34
Men’s Javelin Throw – F52/53
Men’s Club Throw – F31/32/51
Men’s 4x100m Relay – T42/T46

Women’s 100m – T12
Women’s 100m – T13
Women’s 100m – T35
Women’s 100m – T37
Women’s 100m – T44
Women’s 100m – T42
Women’s 100m – T53
Women’s 200m – T11
Women’s 200m – T34
Women’s 200m – T36
Women’s 200m – T38
Women’s 200m – T46
Women’s 200m – T53
Women’s 400m – T13
Women’s 400m – T46
Women’s 400m – T54
Women’s 800m – T54
Women’s 1500m – T12
Women’s 1500m – T54
Women’s Long Jump – F11/12
Women’s Long Jump – F20
Women’s Long Jump – F42/44
Women’s Shot Put – F11/12
Women’s Shot Put – F35/36
Women’s Shot Put – F32/33/34
Women’s Shot Put – F42/44
Women’s Shot Put – F57/58
Women’s Discus Throw – F37
Women’s Discus Throw – F51/52/53
Women’s Discus Throw – F40
Women’s Javelin Throw – F33/34/52/53
Women’s Javelin Throw – F46
Women’s Javelin Throw – F37/38
Women’s 4x100m Relay – T35/T38Women’s 100m – T11
Women’s 100m – T34
Women’s 100m – T36
Women’s 100m – T38
Women’s 100m – T46
Women’s 100m – T52
Women’s 100m – T54
Women’s 200m – T12
Women’s 200m – T35
Women’s 200m – T37
Women’s 200m – T44
Women’s 200m – T52
Women’s 400m – T12
Women’s 400m – T37
Women’s 400m – T53
Women’s 800m – T53
Women’s 5000m – T54
Women’s 1500m – T20
Women’s Marathon – T54
Women’s Long Jump – F13
Women’s Long Jump – F37/38
Women’s Long Jump – F46
Women’s Shot Put – F20
Women’s Shot Put – F37
Women’s Shot Put – F40
Women’s Shot Put – F54/55/56
Women’s Discus Throw – F11/12
Women’s Discus Throw – F35/36
Women’s Discus Throw – F57/58
Women’s Javelin Throw – F12/13
Women’s Javelin Throw – F54/55/56
Women’s Javelin Throw – F57/58
Women’s Club Throw – F31/32/51

Boccia

Believed to have its origins in Ancient Greece, Boccia is a target sport that tests muscle control and accuracy. The name itself comes from the Latin word bottia, meaning ball. The sport is also known as bocce.

The aim of the sport is to propel balls so they finish as close as possible to a special white target ball, known as the jack. Each player, pair or team gets six balls during each phase of a match, called an ‘end’.

The jack is thrown first, then each competitor or team takes turns to throw their ball. After each competitor/team has thrown one ball, the one which does not have the closest ball to the jack throws next. They continue to do so until one of their balls is closest to the jack or until they have thrown all their balls, at which point the other competitor/team throws.

At the close of each end, the athlete, pair or team whose ball is closest to the jack scores one point, and receives an additional point for every ball that sits closer to the jack than the opposition’s closest ball. Individual and Pairs matches consist of four ends, while Team events are held over six ends.

A ball can be propelled by rolling, throwing or kicking. If a player is unable to throw or kick it, they can use a ramp (assistive device).

Each country is limited to one team in each Team event (three athletes). In the Individual events an athlete competes against an opponent with the same classification and for the Pairs events two athletes are paired together.

Events are mixed; men and women compete together.

Mixed competition

Mixed Individual – BC1
Mixed Individual – BC2
Mixed Individual – BC3
Mixed Individual – BC4
Mixed Pairs – BC3
Mixed Pairs – BC4
Mixed Team – BC1-2

Boccia was introduced to the Paralympic program at the New York and Stoke Mandeville 1984 Games.

That’s it, for now. More to follow.

Peace.

Winning Ways

So, I was studying the medals table at the ongoing London 2012 Olympic Games, and some surprising names turned up in the Top 20 – in equally unusual positions.

Kazakhstan, ahead of Australia?

Italy and Hungary, ahead of Australia?
(Sorry, Aus; nothing personal)

Team Great Britain, in third place?

What is going on, here?

New Olympic world powers are finding new ways to win.

Which set me to thinking:

What exactly does it take, to be or become a winner?

Inspiration, then Perspiration
It can begin with a feeling. The belief that you can achieve something extraordinary – far in excess of what you have done, at present.

Or a commitment, to continually improve.

That’s where the hard work begins.

Because, for Olympic athletes – and, by extension, for would-be winners, in general – it’s all about pushing your limits. And having the courage to reach your potential – by doing disciplined work.

Without discipline, you’ll never achieve your goals. And your dreams will remain just that.

So, the winning athlete trains – hard – to an established routine, for a certain number of hours per day.

This training is monitored. He or she typically keeps a daily log, which can include details as arcane as the number of hours of sleep the previous night, their current heart rate, and their actual (or not) desire to train.

For the person (That’s you or me) who wants to become a champion in everyday life, this translates to something like:

1. Setting a goal
2. Outlining a program of activities to achieve it, and
3. Monitoring your progress toward the objective.

Eyes On The Prize. NOT The Competition
The race (or whatever) isn’t about you, versus them.

It’s about you, versus you.

Your ability to win the inner battles: fear of failure, negative associations from the past, or the urge to compare yourself to others in the game (or whatever), is key.

Remember: You can control or influence your own performance. Not (necessarily; there’s always cheating, I suppose) anyone else’s. So that’s what you need to focus on; you. And yourself, in relation to your goal.

It Ain’t Over, Till It’s Over
And there’s no such thing as an easy win; a sure thing. Or a pushover opponent.
Just ask the Aussies (Sorry).

For the true champion, every race is a big race – every game, a big game.

So, establish a mindset in line with this.

A sense of mental toughness will pull you through the rough patches – or give you the strength to persevere, when you’re down.

Winning Isn’t Everything
But, it helps.

Seriously, though. Achieving the aura and status of a winner is as much about the way you comport yourself while pursuing your goal, as it is about accomplishing the goal itself.

You can become a champion, simply in the way you go about becoming one.

Seriously cryptic. But, think about it.

Sports psychologist Jerry Lynch contends that: “The true champion is selfless. He/she naturally puts himself last. This individual manifests an “unconditional willingness to put the team or group before any of his/her individual or self needs.” In sum, the true champion serves others.”

So, it’s not just about fame, statistics, and money.

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Because you’re going to have to, if you expect to succeed.

Following your dream, indulging your passion, and taking responsibility for success isn’t “safe”.
There are risks involved: failure, ridicule, rejection, or whatever.

But the champion’s way is always to trust in him / herself – regardless of the potential negative outcomes, or the reactions of others.

Not safe.

But, it’s a higher level of achievement. The pinnacle, for the Olympians.

If you’re ready for that, then go for it. With my blessing.

Peace.

Here’s Your List – And One I Missed

Okay, so I was looking back over my “A to Z of Olympic Sports”, and I suddenly realized: I’ve missed one.

Thought I might have included it, under “Swimming”, but, no. So, here it is:
Water Polo

Thanks as ever to http://www.olympic.org, for additional facts and figures.

Water Polo

Water polo is a sport played between two teams in a swimming pool, with a netted goal set up at each end. Competing teams attempt to score points by throwing a buoyant ball into the opponent’s goal. Each goal is worth one point.

Water polo originated in England during the 1870s and soon became popular in the United States.

In the early days, the players rode on floating barrels that resembled mock horses, and swung at the ball with mallet-like sticks. This made it similar to equestrian (land-based, horseback) polo – hence its name. In the United States it was termed softball water polo, due to the use of an unfilled bladder as a ball.

In 1897, New Yorker Harold Reeder formulated the first American rules for discipline, which were aimed at curbing the sport’s more violent tendencies.

Water polo was developed in Europe and the United States as two differing sports.

From approximately 1920 to 1946 the United States departed from the international rules for water polo by adopting a loosely inflated ball that could be gripped in one hand and carried toward the goal. Opposing players usually attempted to seize the ballcarriers, wrestle them under water, and render them helpless from loss of breath.

Ultimately, the faster, less dangerous European style predominated, and is today the standard form of the game. It consists of seven-man teams, playing four, seven-minute periods.

The ball weighs between 400g and 450g. Its circumference is 0.68m to 0.71m, for men, and 0.65m to 0.67m, for women.

The two goals are 3.0m wide and 0.9m high, and float on the water.

Lane ropes and buoys are used to distinguish the field of play, and imaginary distances from the goals.

Players wear colored bathing caps with individual numbers and ear protectors. These are used not only for protection, but to also distinguish the various players on a team.

Water polo made its Olympic debut at the Paris Games in 1900. It was not included in 1904, but would be present at each subsequent edition of the Olympic Games.

The Hungarians have historically enjoyed the greatest success in this discipline. Between 1928 and 1980, they won medals at every Games, winning six of the ten gold medals available between 1932 and 1976.

At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Hungary made a remarkable comeback, winning its seventh gold medal in water polo. In the same year, women’s water polo made its first official appearance at the Olympic Games.

So. That’s the one I missed.

And Here’s Your List:

The London 2012 Official Olympic Website:
http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results/

The site gives an overview of the tournament, in calendar form. There are also day-by-day breakdowns of the events in either list form, or as time charts.

Dates run from 27th July to 12th August, so the Events List for, say, the 28th of July would look like this:

http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results/day=28-july/list.html

Which would be the URL you would enter in your browser.

So, now you have no excuse to miss the action on your local broadcast network.

Speaking Of Which…

The Olympic Games were first telecast in 1960, and the broadcasts have only grown in popularity, since then. The global audience is now estimated at over one billion television viewers.

Viewer ratings, advertising revenue, and prestige associated with broadcasting the games have established the Olympic rights as among the most coveted and expensive in all of television.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has become increasingly dependent on income derived from television – particularly American TV. Even the scheduling of the games has been changed, in part, to accommodate the U.S. media.

The games first attracted a significant television audience during the 1968 Summer Games, when Roone Arledge was at the helm of ABC Sports. These shows set the standard for Olympic telecasts.

And it’s not just the sports coverage.

Typically, a host network captures 50% of the television audience each night, for the two-and-a-half weeks of the Olympic telecast. This establishes a relationship between the viewers and the network – which translates into increased ratings for regularly scheduled programs.

Paradoxically, though, networks lose money on the Olympics. Bids are made knowing that the result will be millions of dollars lost. Broadcasting the Olympics is more a matter of network prestige, than a question of profit.

And I hope you’ve profited, by your time spent here.

See you again, soon.

Peace.