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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to ask about the paraolympics?

78 replies

BlueBirdsNest · 30/08/2012 14:41

Do people with the same disabilities compete with each other?

I've just the shooting, swimming and the equestrian event and it seems .........in my opinion....that the events are segregated and only people with the same disability compete in the events?

OP posts:
blueraincoat · 30/08/2012 14:45

It is the Paralympics as they are an entirely separate thing to the Olympics. As far as I am aware there are different classifications for the different sports with regard to people's disabilities. Here is a really good tool that explains everything:

lexi.channel4.com/

HTH

saltnpepashere · 30/08/2012 14:47

There is a quite complicated classification system to try and make it as fair on the athletes as possible. As far as I can understand it is not necessarily the disability they are classifed by, but how it affects their performance in that particular sport.

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9494025/Paralympics-2012-classifications-explained.html

Nancy66 · 30/08/2012 14:48

there are many different bands of classification depending on disability.

Wouldn't be fair if, for example, an amputee who'd lost a leg was running against an amputee who'd lost a hand. So they are categorized and race against those with similar disabilities.

Kayano · 30/08/2012 14:48

Well watch it and find out, they are very good at explaining for each event

Wheelchair reaching for example they went over before

T23 is when they are paralysed and can't move their back so all the power for racing has to come from their shoulders and arms

T24 is when they are paralysed from the waist and can move their back up and down and therefore generate power from their back and shoulders making it slightly easier for them.

But they all race on the same track.

The swimming this morning has categories where the level of disadvantage is tried to be the same but they don't have the same disabilities.

The cycling all race, but those with severe disabilities get the time recalculated according to disadvantage.

Kayano · 30/08/2012 14:50

And the shooting I think they said had a standing event which wasn't about being able to stand but able to support your own back and gun, so wheelchair users compete in that too.

The other event is when they can't support the gun themselves?

mignonette · 30/08/2012 14:51

I'd like to see some of the events integrated with the Olympics. Maybe not competing in the same event at the same time but perhaps events like swimming where specialist equipment or venues are not required could have a paralympic heat/semi/final followed by a non paralympic one?

That'd be true equality wouldn't it?

saltnpepashere · 30/08/2012 14:53

Actually my link isnt that helpful, the above one is more so I think.

I dont think all the athletes in one category have the same disability. For example Ellie Simmons, who is a swimmer with dwarfism, is comppeting in the S6 category alongside people with coordination problems on one side, impairment in their legs or loss of limbs.

However, they all have difficulty holding good body position in the water or swimming straight, so they compete against each other.

Is this right or am I completely confused?!

Kayano · 30/08/2012 14:57

Yes mig it would be good but they are two deprecate events and the Paralympics have their own great history and traditions.

It would be a very Long event... And we wouldn't get 2 lots of parties lol

Mrsjay · 30/08/2012 15:02

It depends not all of the same disabilities are the same there is clasification and maybe 2 people with different degrees of the same disability wont be able to compete, it is complicated but the classification explanation is easy to follow

Mrsjay · 30/08/2012 15:04

the paralympics isnt the same as the olympics it originated from different places, some paralympians have competed in the olympics in shooting and archery

spoonsspoonsspoons · 30/08/2012 15:04

The channel 4 site has really good explanations if the different classes

lexi.channel4.com

Mrsjay · 30/08/2012 15:06

the classification is more to do with the ability rather than disability I think thats a better way to explain it, a swimmer had to be re classified recently she was a better swimmer than they thought ,

Original poster
BlueBirdsNest · 30/08/2012 15:07

I agree mignotte If someone can compete with able bodied people why should they not be allowed to

Im thinking here of the double leg amputee with the bouncy legs ......I'd love to see him race hussian bolt

OP posts:
complexnumber · 30/08/2012 15:10

I am going to apologise in advance for making a grumpy post.

Please OP, are you incapable of making the most basic of searches on, say, google? Have you not looked at the vast amounts of information held on the BBC site? Are you really so inept that all you can do is make a rather pathetic little wimper on AIBU

Sorry again OP, you are probably lovely in rl. I am Smile !

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 30/08/2012 15:10

There was a double leg amputee that competed in the Olympics.

Kayano · 30/08/2012 15:11

He did race in the Olympics....

Hmm he runs 400m though so wouldnt run against bolt anyway.

Do you guys even know what you are talking about?

Mrsjay · 30/08/2012 15:11

Oscar Pistrious has competed with able bodied athletes google him he was said to have an unfair advantage because his blades gave him bounce Grin

spoonsspoonsspoons · 30/08/2012 15:11

people with disabilities can and do compete in the Olympics.

ClaireDeTamble · 30/08/2012 15:15

I agree mignotte If someone can compete with able bodied people why should they not be allowed to

Im thinking here of the double leg amputee with the bouncy legs ......I'd love to see him race hussian bolt

Well - if you mean Oscar Pistorius - then he did race in the olympics - but as it was the 400m and 4 x 4 relay and Ussain Bolt runs in the 100m, 200m and 4x1 relay, then they are hardly likely to race against each other are they?

Also, if the two (very very seperate) games were combined, the Oscar Pistorius would have to choose which he competed in, whereas as it stands he will get to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics!

Original poster
BlueBirdsNest · 30/08/2012 15:15

complex I have goggled and it returns conflicting views every time..........it is like wadding through treacle

I won't look at the BBC site as I think it Channel 4 that is covering the paraolympics?

Same the BBC weren't interested eh!

OP posts:
Mrsjay · 30/08/2012 15:17

why whats wrong with channel 4 i am really starting to feel sorry for channel 4 today Sad

ClaireDeTamble · 30/08/2012 15:18

FFS - why shouldn't other channels get a shot at showing lucrative sporting events.

Plus Channel 4 only have the TV rights, not exclusive rights to the whole thing.

explanation of classifications

Kayano · 30/08/2012 15:19

Channel four have done such a good job explaining the categories and the commentary is good!

BlackberryIce · 30/08/2012 15:23

Yet when Oscar Pistorious emerged last night carrying his countries flag, channel 4 went to an ad break!!