2012 Paralympics

[JackFrost]

I see their halfway through the athletes coming in, I turned on just in time to hear that ex F1 driver Alex Zanardi is in the Italian Paralympic team, I think he's doing the wheelchair racing.

 

Couldn't C4 have done the athletes parade without adverts though? It's a bit sad their missing some countries out during the ad breaks IMO

[sussexsaint]

Yup pretty dire commentary as well. Underlines how slick and polished the BBC are

[doubleonothing]

But on the positive there's no Trevor Nelson to ruin it! Just adverts.

[Saintandy666]

Great coup getting Stephen Hawking! Recorded it and just starting to watch now.

[bug187]

I'll be looking forward to Viktoria Modesta performing in two weeks *swooon*

[LVSaint]

Great coup getting Stephen Hawking! Recorded it and just starting to watch now.

 

He appeared to be performing and 'sampling' with Orbital earlier.

[Jeff Le Taxi]

Not many Syrian paralympians..............cant help thinking there'll be a lot more next time! ...bad taste i know )-;

[dubai_phil]

Where the hell did they manage to find chicks with figures in the UK to fit into those dresses under brollies to lead each group of Athletes out?

 

There must have been almost 200 of them....

 

Can't have been many from Scotland.

[Hatch]

Whats the deal with drug testing at these games?

[Saintandy666]

Whats the deal with drug testing at these games?

 

Same as Olympics I think, but you can get a note from a doctor if there is a particular drug you do need. That's what I read the other day I believe.

[Viking Warrior]

Watching the paralympics is great to see . But too many groups are jumping on the disability bandwagon which is distracting from the spirit of the games . Rnib mxaking formal complaints that there are not enough cash machines . Some guy bleating on about blue badge car permits should be specifically for wheel chair users . Even less abled athletes questioning the classification of there fellow competitors . Why try to hijack the games for political agendas . Wait till after the games and let all those competing enjoy the games

[bridge too far]

Ellie Simmonds - what a star! New world record to go with the gold - awesome.

[Viking Warrior]

She's done well . Some superb role models at these games

[Dimond Geezer]

I went yesterday & saw an SFC union flag hanging in the corner opposite me at the goalball.

Anyone on here?

[Ken Tone]

I went yesterday & saw an SFC union flag hanging in the corner opposite me at the goalball.

Anyone on here?

 

 

Not me ,but the Knott lads in the GB team are from around here..... go to school /college in winchester/eastleigh area .....so they are bound to have local supporters, and therefore likely to have saints fans watching them

[Hatch]

David Weir was great last night, first time I've really got into these games.

[Ken Tone]

Can some explain the logic of the tandem cycling to me? Blind cyclist on the back, 'piloted' by a sighted cyclist on the front, the blind athlete gets most or all of the glory -- it's even officially called the individual sprint. But the 'pilot' also pedals.

 

What's to stop Team GB putting Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, etc, in as pilots?

[bridge too far]

I guess because a) they're knackered after the Olympics and b) because the bikes are heavier, it needs a different level of expertise? Just a guess, mind you. However, here's a little bit of info about Barney Storey who won silver as a pilot

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19422244

 

He was training with the National Sprint Squad when he was asked to consider being a pilot.

[Hatch]

Can some explain the logic of the tandem cycling to me? Blind cyclist on the back, 'piloted' by a sighted cyclist on the front, the blind athlete gets most or all of the glory -- it's even officially called the individual sprint. But the 'pilot' also pedals.

 

What's to stop Team GB putting Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, etc, in as pilots?

 

maybe they just don't have the time, they must train like nutters, and to also find a whole lot of time to train as a tandem would be impossible.

I guess the pilots are decent cyclists who just wont make the very top level so choose another path.

[cambsaint]

Edith Wolf the Swiss wheelchair gold medal winner is gorgeous!

My admiration for these athletes knows no bounds.

[Hatch]

is there a Winter Paralympics by the way. I'm sure there is, I just don't recall ever seeing/reading about one.

[Dimond Geezer]

is there a Winter Paralympics by the way. I'm sure there is, I just don't recall ever seeing/reading about one.

 

Apparently there is, it's mentioned here in Richard Whiteheads write up as he competed in it in 2006;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19449193

[Ken Tone]

maybe they just don't have the time, they must train like nutters, and to also find a whole lot of time to train as a tandem would be impossible.

I guess the pilots are decent cyclists who just wont make the very top level so choose another path.

 

I expect you're right, but my point really is ---- doesn't this mean that the medals in reality go to not necessarily the best blind cyclist, but actually just to the one who is lucky enough to persuade a really good sighted cyclist to be his/her pilot?

[bridge too far]

I expect you're right, but my point really is ---- doesn't this mean that the medals in reality go to not necessarily the best blind cyclist, but actually just to the one who is lucky enough to persuade a really good sighted cyclist to be his/her pilot?

 

OK I know nothing about cycling but these thoughts crossed my mind too. So I delved a bit and found out the information I posted above and also that the chains link one set of pedals to the other so I guess that means to some extent that the pilot can only go as fast as the stoker pedals. Also, because there are two of them, the bikes are heavier so I imagine that sort of evens out the load. And I think it's a team decision as to who pilots who because Barney Storey piloted the silver medalist this year whereas last year, at the worlds I think, he piloted the guy who won the gold medal yesterday.

[Hatch]

David Weir - Take a bow son

[Saint137]

David Weir is cut from the same cloth as Mark Cavendish, awesome power and spot-on tactics. Wiggo has competition for SPOTY if he goes on and wins the other two golds he's going for.

[Sheaf Saint]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19493510

 

Incredible stuff. It's amazing he survived that accident at all, so massive respect to him.

[Hatch]

David Weir is cut from the same cloth as Mark Cavendish, awesome power and spot-on tactics. Wiggo has competition for SPOTY if he goes on and wins the other two golds he's going for.

 

 

David Weir was 80/1 to win SPotY earlier today, i stuck a cheeky tenner on it.

[Lazlo78]

All right, I give up. The Paralympics have a feelgood factor that's just off the charts. During the Olympics it was tenacious Olympians compared to those greedy, lazy footballers. Now I look at a guy with only one leg doing 1m74 in high jump and think about that no-good playboy Usain Bolt

 

Does it get much more real in the world of sports?

[Picard]

Southampton FC ‏@officialsaints

 

RT @SimonPeach: I think you should show @hlucasgbr some love. The die-hard #SaintsFC fan has just won sailing gold at the Paralympics.

[Thedelldays]

that Murderball looks brilliant....they are f-ing nuts

[sussexsaint]

Just a phenomenal night that 100m and the Weir race was some of the best and most exciting sport I have ever seen.

[bridge too far]

One of the most amazing stories i've ever seen. Can't imagine coming back from that accident as a regular person, but when you're a famous successful driver, having that taken away from you would finish off a lot of people. Yet he's gone and won gold. Must be some immense talent for knowing the best race lines etc. Huge challenge though and the mental (and physical) strength is incredible. No way I'd be able to do anything like that.

 

He won a second gold tonight. I was hearing on Radio 5 Live that he plans to start to compete in Indie 500 - the experts reckon they'll be able to adapt a car for him. A truly remarkable man.

[CB Saint]

that Murderball looks brilliant....they are f-ing nuts

 

A local lad, Aaron Phipps is in the team. Got sin binned for catapulting an amercian out of his chair after a particularly heavy impact.

[JackFrost]

Anyone hear about Esther Vergeer who won the wheelchair tennis?

 

In singles, she has not been beaten since January 2003 and is on a winning streak of 470 matches, with an overall pro record of 687-25. She has been the world number one since 1999.

 

That's what you call total domination.

[Sour Mash]

Anyone hear about Esther Vergeer who won the wheelchair tennis?

 

In singles, she has not been beaten since January 2003 and is on a winning streak of 470 matches, with an overall pro record of 687-25. She has been the world number one since 1999.

 

That's what you call total domination.

Doesn't make for a great competition though. That's my only real criticism of the Paras, a lot of the events I've seen have been very one-sided.

[CB Saint]

A local lad, Aaron Phipps is in the team. Got sin binned for catapulting an amercian out of his chair after a particularly heavy impact.

 

 

[Huffton]

Aaron went to Testwood school, same year as my sister in law. I think he lost his lower legs and fingers due to contracting meningitis as a teenager.

[Saint Garrett]

Closing ceremony has blown the Olympic closing ceremony out the water. Coldplay = CLASS

[hypochondriac]

Coldplay really are extremely talented and put on a great show whatever you think of their music. Saw them a few years back and they were utterly brilliant.

[Bearsy]

First gig i went to my brother took me to see this up and coming band in london, think it might have been at the old Astoria before it shut down. The headliners was called Muse, they went on to do quite well I understand. I remember we was all lolling at the support band though and how boring and uncool they was. They was called Coldplay.

 

Mental, looking back

[BadgerBadger]

Closing ceremony has blown the Olympic closing ceremony out the water. Coldplay = CLASS

 

Totally agree, Coldplay were class but why the fack did we not get more UK talent onstage instead of looking to the US. FFS

[BadgerBadger]

All in all a thoroughly life affirming event - well done!!

[Dimond Geezer]

Love him, or loathe him, but Boris gave a great speech at the Athletes Parade. I'm not of his political persuasion, but I'd pay to see him doing stand-up, or after dinner speaking.

[trousers]

Boris for PM

[Dimond Geezer]

Boris for PM

 

PMQT would be fun.