#london 2012 paralympic games

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil is a paralympic power: understand why the country stands out

The country expects to improve on its seventh-place in the last Paralympics, in Tokyo

The Paris Paralympic Games began this week, and Brazil will compete in 20 of the 22 sports, with a delegation of 255 athletes, the second largest in this edition of the Games – second only to China. As in other editions, the country is expected to win many medals: analysts say Brazil will probably be among the top five in the competition.

The country consolidated its position in the top 10 of the Paralympics in Beijing 2008, when it finished the Games with 47 podiums: 16 gold medals, 14 silver medals and 17 bronze medals, the ninth in that edition’s ranking.

In London 2012, the total number of podiums decreased, but the number of gold medals increased, and the country finished seventh on the medals table (21 gold medals, 14 silver medals and 8 bronze medals). At the Rio Games in 2016, the number of podiums jumped to 72, but a slight drop in the number of gold medals left the country in eighth position. In Tokyo 2020, Brazil returned to seventh position, with the same number of podiums as in Rio, but a record number of gold medals: 22.

According to Rafael Reis, a Paralympic sports researcher, Brazil's success has several causes. He explains that one of the first steps towards the country's prominence in the Paralympics was the creation of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB, in Portuguese) in 1994.

Continue reading.

[world-of-wales]

The Duchess of Cambridge presented medals for Men's Discus Throw - F42 on day 4 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium in London || 2 SEPTEMBER 2012

[mathsandwhiteroses]

Royal Summer Challenge 2024: Day 19

Favourite photos of royals at the Paralympics

Unfortunately, I could only find photos of the Brits at the summer Paralympic Games so fingers crossed we will have more Royals attend the Paralympics in Paris this year.

The photo of Catherine and Louise was taken during the London 2012 games, the photos of Sonja were taken during the Lillehammer 1994 games, and the photo of Victoria was taken during the Pyeongchang 2018 games.

[princesscatherineblog]

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives to attend the official launch party for Team GB and Paralympics GB ahead of the London 2012 Games at Royal Albert Hall on May 11, 2012 in London, England

[rihanziad]

'Spectacular' Paris Paralympics to open on Wednesday

Elizabeth Hudson, Emma Smith and Alan Jewell

Paris has promised a Games to remember as it gets ready to host the 2024 Paralympics.

After the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 had to be held without fans because of the Covid pandemic, and Rio 2016 was dogged by financial issues, the pressure is on Paris to deliver an event to rival  or even better the London 2012 Games.

Wednesday's opening ceremony at 19:00 BST will be focused on the Place de la Concorde, with the first of the 549 gold medals to be awarded the following day.

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[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Japan’s wheelchair rugby team gets fairytale ending in Paris 🇫🇷

The new wheelchair rugby Paralympic champions, Japan!🇯🇵 First gold medal for them after two bronze medals in a row, what a journey!

——

Le nouveau champion Paralympique de rugby fauteuil, le Japon !🇯🇵 Première médaille d'or pour eux après deux médailles de bronze d'affilée, quel parcours!

From persistence to perfection: Team Japan claims gold 🥇 in wheelchair rugby at the Paris tournament after beating the USA 48-41 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the final at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Japan won bronze at Rio 2016, winning their first Paralympic medal in the sport. But three years ago, Japan went into the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic tournament as one of the gold medal favourites, having won the World Championships in 2018, they were knocked out in the semifinals and finished with bronze in Tokyo.

Japan's Daisuke Ikezaki keeps the ball away from the United States in the gold medal match © Alex Davidson/Getty Images

They made wheelchair rugby history in Rio by winning their first Paralympic medal. From there, they tried to grow the popularity of the sport while preparing for their home Games. They wanted to achieve the best results, especially for people struggling at that moment with the COVID-19 pandemic. They weren’t able to do that in the end and felt disappointed.

Japan celebrates their monumental wheelchair rugby gold medal © Alex Davidson/Getty Images

From there, they were able to turn another page in wheelchair rugby history. This is the best result. They proved that everything they had done was correct and didn’t make mistakes. They led to great results earning the Gold medal. 🥇

With viewers turning up to watch the wheelchair rugby competitions at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the players are thoroughly with family, friends and fans enjoying the wonderful atmosphere created at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Congratulations Team Japan! 🇯🇵🎉

After years of determination and progress, Team Japan has triumphed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, winning the gold in wheelchair rugby by defeating Team USA in a thrilling final! From 4th place in London 2012 to 3rd in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, they now stand proudly at the top.

Well done, champions! 🥇

🎥 Asian Paralympic Committee

#Paris2024 #wheelchairrugby #asianparalympic #Champions #Paralympics #Alex Davidson/#GettyImages #Japan #GoldMedal

Posted 3rd September 2024

[atotaltaitaitale]

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The end… for the second time in a month.

We needed those two weeks in between so we could miss you, Olympics, but after the Closing Ceremony on August 11, we knew deep down that we would get to experience all that joy again for the Paralympics. This time it’s really the end. We need to go back to our lives and you have timed it perfectly with La Rentrée.

While the Olympic Game and the Paralympic Game are 2 different entities and managed by 2 different committees, Paris2024 wanted the Paralympics to be a true extension of the Olympics. For the first time the emblem (a golden circle with a white flame inside, a stylized rendition of Marianne) and the motto (Games Wide Open/Ouvrons Grand les Jeux) were shared by both events, and even the Olympic and Paralympic mascots were the same: the famous (infamous?) Phryge, albeit an able-bodied Phryge for the Olympics and a prosthetic Phryge for the Paralympics.

While Paris was hosting the Olympics for the third time, it was actually the first time the city had hosted the Paralympics (France has hosted one Winter Paralympics in 1992 in Albertville, while the next one will be in 2030). In fact, the Paralympics began in 1948 with a small gathering of British veterans of the Second World War at Stoke Madeville Hospital (hence why the Paralympics flame is lit there) on the opening day of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. But the first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, and since then they have been held in the same year as the Olympic Games, but in a different city or even country. Since 1988 in Seoul, the Paralympics have been held immediately after the Olympics in the same city and using most of the same venues. Bidding to host the Olympic Games means bidding to host the Paralympic Games as well.

The Paralympic Games have a tremendous track record of transforming host cities and countries, improving the lives of people with disabilities and all those with accessibility needs and acting as a catalyst to improve accessibility. In France, since 2008, able-bodied and Paralympic medalists have received the same amount of money depending on the medal won. Since the London 2012 Olympics, guides (para-athletics, para-triathlon, para-cycling and para-triathlon) who accompany visually impaired or blind athletes have also been rewarded with a medal when the athlete reached the podium. The Paralympics are here to drive change in the world and drive this "inclusion revolution".

To say that Paris2024 was amazing is an understatement. But there is something even more special about the Paralympics. Yes all athletes are super-humans but Paralympians are a cut above and we got to see 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports. I've always admired Paralympians but after attending even more events this time than at the Beijing2008 games, I’m in total awe of their abilities beyond their disabilities. The words I heard the most often at the events: Incredible. Unbelievable. Amazing. Everyone seems to be in admiration of the athletes. You can't help but be in amazed when you are in the stands of Paris La Defense Arena cheering the athletes of the Para swimming events or astonished by the complete silence of 12,000 spectators in the Stade Eiffel Tower for Blind football followed by an eruption of applause when a team scores a goal (any team for that matter… although the cheering might be slightly louder when Team France is on the field), that’s also where I got to experience a silent, slow ola where the public rose to their feet in a gentle, synchronised way to create a perfectly silent Mexican wave. The Grand Palais was as packed as for the Olympics for para taekwondo or wheelchair fencing, both events I attended. I couldn’t not go to the gorgeous Para equestrian venue on the grounds of the Palais de Versailles and got again to do the Silent Applause: a very important part of Para Equestrian that encourages the fans to cheer without distracting the rider and the horse. As I never make it to the French Open, the Men's single medals in wheelchairs tennis were the events that finally took me to the mythic Roland Garros central court. I’m not a huge fan of tennis in general (I know the players, and follow the Grand Slam from afar) but the Gold/Silver match between Japan's Tokito Oda (Gold Medalist) and Britain's Alfie Hewett (Silver Medalist) was a real treat and kept us on the edge of our seat for three sets. I may have to look for wheelchair tennis events to watch in the future. Finally one cannot experience the Games (Olympic and/or Paralympic) without attending at least some of the Athletics events at Stade de France. The atmosphere on the final night of the game was electric.

The Olympics are always very popular and well televised but the Paralympics tend to be a bit less enthusiastic and not as well-followed (often due to the lack of media coverage unfortunately). In Paris, however, there were huge crowds at the venues, and local fans not only supported the French athletes, they cheered on athletes from all over the world and made sure the athletes felt welcome. As IPC President Andrew Parsons mentioned in his closing ceremony: For a country famous for its fashion and food, France is now famous for its fans. With more competing countries, more women and more global coverage than ever before, Paris 2024 has set a benchmark for all future Paralympic Games.

With 10 Paralympic and 4 Olympic events, I've had a busy summer in Paris and I’m so glad we’ve decided to stay in town and experience the Games. And yet, there are so many more sporting events I would have love to have seen, especially for the Paralympics: wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, etc, etc. Who knows if I’ll ever live again in a city hosting the Games. Twice was already great.

From Tony Estanguet's closing ceremony speech: This summer, France had a date with history, and the country showed up. France dared to imagine things that had never been done before: the first Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games outside a stadium, the first marathon open to all, the first Games in the heart of the city. France dared to believe in the power of sport.

With the Games, we rediscovered our heritage, our creativity and our capacity to achieve great things. We rediscovered our joie de vivre, our impertinence at times, and above all, all the positive energy that exploded in the stands! These Games will have been an encounter between France and itself. The France that smiles. The France that loves itself. The France that we are proud of. The France that breaks records: Olympic medal records, Paralympic medal records, Spectator records, Audience records, Atmosphere records, “Allez Les Bleus" records.

From Olympic Rings to Paralympic Agitos… Everything must come to an end but memories last forever.

PS: There was no “addressing the elephant in the room” with the Paralympics Opening Ceremony… it was just perfect; although seeing the gorgeous sunset as the Paralympics athletes walked down the Champs Élysées towards the Place de la Concorde was slightly bittersweet as it reminded us of what the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony could have been like (if it hadn't rained that evening).

[the-olympics-olympics]

Blaze is a phoenix, a mythical bird that rises from ashes to experience a renewed life. The phoenix appears in Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Arabian, Chinese, Russian, and Native American folklore and in all instances symbolizes strength, vision, inspiration, and survival. The phoenix has long been the symbol of Atlanta's rebirth after its devastation in the American Civil War. But most importantly, it is the personification of the will, perseverance, and determination of youth and adults with physical disabilities to achieve full and productive lives.

Mandeville is a drop of steel named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. In 1948, Stoke Mandeville Hospital organized the first Stoke Mandeville Games, considered to be the precursor to the Paralympics. The three spikes on Mandeville's helmet represent the Paralympic Agitos. He also represents friendship.

Dan D. Lion was designed by Maryanne McGrath Higgins, an art teacher. The character wore running shoes and jogging clothes. The name was then voted on by students of the Human Resources School, a special education institution for students with severe physical impairments requiring specialized support, in Albertson, New York, later renamed Henry Viscardi School in honor of its founder.

[ldagence-royal]

Princess Eugenie von York (Paralympic Games London September 2012)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

25 July 2024

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will see competitors parade on boats along the River Seine through central Paris on Friday.

An unprecedented security operation is in place, with organisers also facing challenges over the cleanliness of the Seine, costs and the environmental impact of the Games.

When are the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The summer Olympics run from 26 July to 11 August, with 10,500 athletes competing in 329 events.

The Paralympics take place from 28 August to 8 September, featuring 4,400 athletes in 549 events.

There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics, and 184 at the Paralympics.

Where will Olympic and Paralympic events take place?

The main athletics events will be at the Stade de France, on the northern outskirts of Paris.

There are also Olympic and Paralympic venues in the city centre.

The Pont d'Iena, for example, is hosting cycling events, while beach volleyball is at the Eiffel Tower and the marathon starts at the Hotel de Ville and ends at Les Invalides.

Is the Seine clean enough for swimming?

Open water swimming and triathlon events are due to take place in the Seine, more than 100 years after swimming in the river was banned.

Tests done in mid-June showed that levels of E. coli in the water were 10 times the acceptable level.

However, Games organisers hope July sunshine and measures like a rainwater storage basin will make it clean enough.

Ahead of the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip to try to prove the river was safe.

How are France's security forces preparing for the Games?

The Games will be protected by the largest peacetime deployment of security forces in French history

Up to 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guards will be on patrol in Paris at any one time to guard venues and events.

The use of the Seine for the opening ceremony, with crowds watching the parade from the banks, is a first for the modern Olympics.

The original plan was to give free tickets to 600,000 members of the public to watch from the river's banks.

However, the government was worried about potential threats such as a drone attack, and spectator numbers were scaled back to 326,000.

More than 220,000 of those will be invited guests and 104,000 will be members of the public who have bought tickets.

Some 44,000 barriers have been erected, with QR codes for residents and others seeking access to the river Seine and its islands.

Many of the barriers will be removed after the opening ceremony.

Intelligence services uncovered two plots against the country by suspected Islamic militants in early 2024.

In May, a man was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on the torch relay in Bordeaux, and another man was arrested in southern France over a plan to attack an Olympic football venue.

How much are the Games costing?

The cost of this year's Games is estimated to be about 9bn euros (£7.6bn), less than any of the previous four Games — in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Beijing.

Much of the funding is coming from private companies, as well as sales of tickets and broadcasting rights.

The government's official auditors have said it may have to pay between 3bn and 5bn euros (£2.5bn and £4.2bn) for costs such as policing.

Are the Games environmentally friendly?

The organising committee of Paris 2024 has promised to make it the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The Games will be held in the same city where, in 2015, world leaders agreed to try to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C.

About 95% of the Olympic and Paralympic sites are either existing structures or temporary ones.

The organisers say they are using as much recycled material as they can — including recycled cardboard beds for athletes — and trying to minimise carbon emissions.

However, it has been reported that thousands of air-conditioning units have been ordered for Olympic Village rooms by some national teams.

Are the Games pushing up prices in Paris?

Millions of visitors are expected in Paris during the Games, with ticket holders expected to spend an estimated 2.6bn euros (£2.2bn).

Hoteliers in Paris pushed up their rates, in many cases doubling them or more, in anticipation of a big rise in demand.

But there have been reports that many hotels have had unexpectedly low sales.

Bus and metro fares are also doubling in the capital during the Games.

In January, the Louvre art gallery put up its entrance fees by almost 30%.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil sets Paralympic medal record, takes 5th place overall in Paris

Brazil had its best performance ever during the Paralympic Games, ending its run in Paris with 89 medals: 25 gold, 26 silver, and 38 bronze. Its record-breaking performance placed the country in the top five of the medal board for the first time, finishing behind China, Great Britain, the United States, and the Netherlands.

Brazil bested its previous top performance at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, where it won 22 gold medals and placed on 72 podiums, ending in 7th place. At the London Games in 2012, the Brazilian team also finished 7th on the medal board, but with 21 golds and 47 total medals.

Finishing in the top five of the medal board at the 2024 Paralympic Games was among the goals of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB), which brought the largest delegation in the country’s history to Paris with 280 athletes. Swimming and track and field were the sports in which the Brazilians stood out the most, with 26 and 36 medals, respectively.

The big surprise came in judo, where Brazil led in medals, taking eight podiums in total, surpassing other Paralympic powerhouses. The country also achieved good results in table tennis, taekwondo, powerlifting, canoeing, goalball, and blind soccer.

Continue reading.

[world-of-wales]

The Duchess of Cambridge presented the medals for Men's Discus Throw - F42 on day 4 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium in London || 2 SEPTEMBER 2012

[theivorlegov1]

Swimming - Men's 100m Butterfly - S9 Heat 1 - 2012 London Paralympic Games Video.

[ifreakingloveroyals]

19 July 2012 | Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in her role as patron, visits the 'Road to 2012: Aiming High' exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England. on July 19, 2012 in London, England. The Duchess of Cambridge as Patron of the National Portrait Gallery visited the exhibition, which showcases commissioned photographs documenting preparations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and runs from July 19 - September 23.

[kenyatta]

Born without the hand that traditionally wears a wedding ring, Sara Hughes never dreamed of a diamond. Where would she wear a ring when she got married, was a question she would frequently get asked. To her, even attempting the convention felt stressful, so she gave herself permission to opt out.

“Obviously, there’s the whole thing of women wanting to feel like princesses on their wedding days,” she said. “For me, it wasn’t a fancy gown. It was having a really cool arm.”

Ms. Hughes, 36, of South East London, has worn a prosthetic forearm and hand since she was a toddler.

[...]

The closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London challenged that idea, as she watched from her flat with her partner, Mark Wheatley, as a performer held aloft by dancers, raised a leg in the air created to look like a cracked-open geode shining with crystals and held together by an iridescent rod. She caught the performer again on TV wearing a spiked, black-lacquered leg, then stomping the tip to shatter glass.

“Where?” she wondered, “where has she got that leg from?”

Viktoria Modesta, a musician with a prosthetic leg who describes herself as a “bionic pop artist,” was the first online search result that then led her to the Alternative Limb Project. For the next decade, Ms. Hughes followed the work of the founder of the company, the prosthetics artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata, who makes bespoke limbs at her workshop in Lewes, a town south of London.

(via A Bride’s Prosthesis Made Not to Blend In, but to Shine - The New York Times)

[scotianostra]

The actress, singer, and X Factor contestant Kerry McGregor was born on October 30th 1974.  

Kerry had an extraordinary life of triumph over tragedy with so many people describing her attitude as an inspiration to us all. Kerry’s first set back was the loss of her father George, who died in a road traffic accident when she was just 5 years old. Kerry was raised by adoring and single mum Margaret.

She was a budding gymnast, identified to compete at national level but when aged 13, Kerry suffered a broken back, when she fell from a tree, resulting in incomplete paralysis from the waist down.  Kerry attended West Calder High School and at that time, the authorities told her, she would need to attend a special school.

Through sheer determination, proving the experts wrong, Kerry defied the odds and crammed all the physiotherapy of 2 years into just 6 weeks. Kerry developed her upper body strength and by using leg braces and crutches alone, Kerry showed she could make her way around the school and was permitted to remain in mainstream schooling. The following year, Kerry won the UK Child Achievement Award and described it as her “proudest moment”.  

Kerry continued on crutches for as long as she could and developed her passion for the Arts. Furthering her education and dream of becoming a recording artist, she attended Jewel and Esk Valley College, in Edinburgh and learned her trade.  From 1993, Kerry formed various bands and recorded albums which  were minor hits. She was talent-spotted by Kenny MacDonald (manager of The Proclaimers) and in 1997, recorded an entry to the Eurovision Song Contest that was runner up in the UK competition.  Kerry had also found fame as an actress, in both theatre and on screen, appearing in BBC1’s Grange Hill and Channel 4’s The Book Group. Kerry’s desire to lead a normal life while getting results continued, exposing the stereotypes associated with disability.

It was as a contestant in The X Factor TV show where Kerry was to capture the hearts of millions. Mentored by Sharon Osbourne Kerry reached the final 10, featuring weekly on the live shows in the memorable year Leona Lewis won the show.  After the show, Kerry continued to perform sell out shows and managed to juggle being a singer-songwriter and mum to Joshua and loving partner to Dean Robertson.  Kerry used her popularity and celebrity status at every opportunity to drive media attention for those affected by disability, giving hope and inspiration to millions. She worked with several charities representing women, children and the disabled including; Spinal Injuries Association, Voluntary Sector Gateway, Leonard Cheshire Disability, CLIC Sargent and many others.

Kerry’s achievements and attitude made her the perfect role model and obvious candidate for many events associated with various disabilities.  However, in September 2010, after a long period of feeling unwell, Kerry was diagnosed with bladder cancer. She underwent extensive treatment but continued to support and raise awareness for a number of charities and also develop her own projects. She was appointed Ambassador to the UK’s first charity dedicated to fighting bladder cancer, Action for Bladder Cancer (ABC). Despite losing her trademark long blonde hair and the treatment almost leaving her deaf, she also continued writing and recording.  

Kerry had been supported to perform at the opening ceremony for 2012 London Paralympics Games and was also set to record a charity duet with superstar and fellow West Lothian lass, Susan Boyle, who had paid tribute to Kerry in her book as her inspiration to go on the hit TV show Britain’s Got Talent but sadly Kerry’s health quickly deteriorated and on 4th January 2012, she passed away at her home aged just 37.  

Kerry’s funeral took place on Tuesday 10th January, near to her home in West Lothian. Police closed off roads as hundreds of friends and fans attended to pay their respects to a truly inspirational but humble lady, who was loved by so many