JellyBelly 1 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Don't forget, the Paralympic Games start tomorrow. Good luck to all those great people taking part! I hope they give it some coverage on the tv. Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I will be following this guy. John Mclean will be rowing for gold in the paralypics inagural event in Beijing. Here is a list of some of his acheivements so far. 2007 Australian Rowing Team for Rowing World Championships in Munich Germany - Adaptive Pairs (Kathryn Ross) Silver Medal - World Rowing Championships TA2X Division (Partner Kathryn Ross) 2006 Ultraman World Championships 2005 Completed Molokai Challenge. (First Wheelchair athlete in the world. Completed on Double Ski with David Wells) 2002 Inducted into the Hawaiian Ironman Hall of Fame Completed Kilometres for Kids (K4K) 2001 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race (Grinder on Team Aspect - Finished 12th Overall and 2nd in division) Awarded Australian Sports Medal 2000 Received Order of Australia (OAM) 1998 First Wheelchair Athlete to successfully swim the English Channel. 1997 First Wheelchair Athlete to successfully complete all "able-bodied" cut off times in the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon. Crowned ITU World Triathlon Champion, Perth (Physically Challenged Category) 1996 Crowned ITU World Triathlon Champion, Cleveland (Physically Challenged Category) Hawaiian Ironman Finisher 1995 First Wheelchair Athlete to complete the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon. Good luck to all of them. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 i wonder if the poms will be the aussies in that as well! Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 You would hope so. A waste of millions if they don't Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Yeah, rumours abound about the amount they've spent on the para-games, estimates around 3 times the amount Oz spent on the WHOLE LOT, both para and able olympics. They'll be really p!ssed if they don't end up with more medals then Oz manages. (Mind you, I'll be soooo happy if they get p!ssed!) Link to post Share on other sites
neversummer 0 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Keep an eye on Michael Milton. Below is taken from his personal website Michael Milton is one of Australia's best-known athletes. His four-gold-medal haul at the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games endeared him to a sport-loving nation and earned him the title of Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. In April 2003 Michael tried something new: speed skiing, the drag racing of alpine sport. On the steepest slope in the world he clocked over 193km/hr, smashing a 16-year-old world record and becoming the fastest skier with a disability. Every year after that he bettered his own world record until, in April 2006, he clocked a staggering 213.65km/hr to also become the fastest Australian skier ever. A month earlier at the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in (his fifth Paralympic Games) Michael's ski racing career came to an end. Under a new, tougher classification system, he won a silver medal in the Downhill, achieving his goal to "...win a medal, any colour." His ski racing medal count stands at eleven Paralympic medals (six gold) and eleven World Championships medals (six gold). Milton is now pursuing a new sport: cycling. After six months of intense training, he not only won a gold medal in the 3000m Pursuit at the Australian Track Cycling Championships in February 2007 but also broke the Australian record. His dream to make the Australian team and compete at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games was sidelined when he was diagnosed with Oesophagael Cancer in July 2007. He has since made an amazing comeback from this serious illness, recording times at the 2008 Australian Track Cycling Championships comparable to his results in the same events 12 months ago. On Friday 27 June Michael was named as one of 18 athletes in the Paralympic Cycling Team to compete in Beijing. Good luck to your new endeavours Michael Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Why do they have such a big break between the Games and these Games? Any particular reason? Link to post Share on other sites
why? 0 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Good question, does seem rather strange. You'd think they would put it RIGHT after while interest is peaked. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Well they need to "Bump-In" and "Bump-Out" to use a travel/event management term. The Olympics competitors, coaches, teams, spectators etc need to leave and the rooms need to be cleaned the food larders need to be re-stocked, the surfaces and pool quality needs to be adjusted, repaired and updated. Any changes to access arrangement for the disabled athletes needs to take place, and the athletes need to arrive in advance of the commencment of the games and start thier preparation. Madi has been in Beijing since last weekend - and she has been on the training track outside the birdsnest all week getting aclimatised and ready. **I for one am hoping for a great display of athletic brilliance from our athletes, and I would hope there would be a decent coverage on TV for thier efforts!** Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hear, hear!! Will be watching for Madi, myself! So will everyone I talk to! Link to post Share on other sites
foreversnow 5 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I get a little mad with the whole olympics thing. To me ANYONE who makes it to the olympics is a total inspiration YET with the able body olympics we get FULL coverage - Morning shows cover it completely - Medal Tallies - interviews etc. Para Olympics and Special Olympics very little - I just heard a 2 sec piece on the news that we have won 10 medals and 4 of them where gold. I had to google to see what we had one. ARE THESE ATHLETES NOT AS IMPORTANT AS OUR ABLE BODY OLYMPIANS???????? I think they are and should get the same coverage. At least broadcast the events that the Australians are in. PLEASE!! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Anyone having trouble finding information about the Aussie Paralympic news will find it here ABC Paralympics Page And yes! Snowhunter - this is what we want - equal recognition for an equal effort in training and dedication to a sport and competing for thier country! GO GUYS! Off to spend the day with Madi's Mum so I will come back with an update and the inside goss for ya's all! Link to post Share on other sites
Pete the Shoemaker 0 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 The paralympics people don't go as fast or as high or as (other adjective) as the 'normal bodied' Olympics. Sad as it is, that probably explains the lack of coverage. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Yeah, Pete, but they do show us mere mortals the power of the will to win against all odds! What about the SAfrican runner (Blade Runner) who just missed out on a "normal" olympics spot for 100m - prompting a change in the definitions and banning of "performance enhanching" prostheses for non-para olympians. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Update: Madi has just had her debut at the Bird's Nest - in the T54 Womens 100m. She rolled 4th in her heat, got a slow start - but qualified for the final on time - slowest but IN! She was interviewed afterwards and did the country proud - sweet kid she is!! I wish her all the luck for tomorrow for the final - just to make the final at 14 yrs of age is awesome, but a medal of any color would just be the icing on the cake for her. She was originally just courted for the relay, so this is really a bonus. She has the final of the 100, heats of the relay, and heats of the 400m to go. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 And now this: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-paralympics-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Reproduced with permission from my mate yahoo BEIJING (AP)—A Pakistani powerlifter has been banned for two years after failing a doping test, the first athlete to test positive during the Beijing Paralympics. Naveed Ahmed Butt tested positive for the steroid methandienone metabolites, the International Paralympic Committee said in a statement Tuesday. The urine sample was taken Sept. 4, two days before the opening ceremony. “In accordance with the IPC anti-doping code, and after a hearing of the IPC anti-doping committee, the IPC ratified the decision to disqualify Butt from the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games,†the statement said, adding that a two-year ban had been imposed. Peter Van de Vliet, the IPC’s medical and scientific director, said Butt’s accreditation was also being canceled. The IPC has said it plans about 1,000 in- and out-of-competition tests on both blood and urine. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Bugger!! Missed it! Anyone know of a stream where I can get a replay? (Stupid thing is, I had work to do!!) Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 ABC2/ABCHD had a replay and replay of the interview tonight - so all the daytime stuff will be revisited in the 6-7 telecast recap. The only TV I have on HD doesn't have a DVD recorder set up with it - bugger! But if I get it from Linda and Roy I will try and email it to you....however I think the final is tomorrow so no time for worrying about the one ya missed!! LOL Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Just found the ABC site has a video of the race .. here She's in the final and looking forward to it by the sound of things. Go Girl!! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 http://www.madid.com.au/vid_madi_08.htm Silver Medal for our Madi! YAY! What an awesome effort from the Chinese team - six seconds!!!! OMG! Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Is that still going? Have heardly heard a pop here.... Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Well done though..... Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 The whole event was totally inspiring. I saw the marathon last night (didn't realise they did one in the Para-olympics) ... imagine pushing a wheel-chair 40+kilometres to win the marathon!! What role-models these people are!! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I was also in Beijing over the weekend and watched some events. The wheelchair events were not what impressed me. I imagine that it is easier to push a wheelchair over the marathon than to run it. The times produced by the wheelchair athletics are actually faster than those of their normal olympic counterparts in the middle distance events I watched. What really humbled me was how a one-handed swimmer could swim the 50m a lot faster than my best time ever when I was swimming competitively in my younger days. Link to post Share on other sites
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