Paralympics

[An Fear Rua]

fair enough, just think its a stupid argument thats all..apologies

The poll/discussion is about the amount of coverage the event gets, not the validity of the event itself. Its fair game for comment imho, and has been covered on a few other forums I visit.

[ziggysego]

They're staging a silent protest....

still a majority feeling there's too much coverage

It's a biased poll.

Three option supporting a no vote, compared to two supporting a yes vote.

[Colonel Cool]

Go on and f**k off, I take this as a deep personal insult.

Why on earth would you take it as a "deep personal insult"? Unbelievable!!  There is nothing Uladh said that is personal. Catch yourself on.

Oh and BTW I don't give a flying feck how much of this circus they show on TV. I don't watch it because I have no interest. I didn't watch the main Olympics either and no politically correct busy body will convince me that I ought to watch the Para-olympics just because the competitors are disabled.

There's plenty of other channels to watch if you want to watch TV.

[Yes I Would]

f**king hell man you could hardly call it OTT press coverage. About 1/2 page dedicated to it in the Irish News today and an hours highlights on BBC 2 earlier.

Simple, if its on a channel and irritates you that much change the channel.

Personally i feel they deserve coverage on a world stage and in fact the levels of dedication and perseverance of many of these competitors amazes me, so good luck to them. 
To suggest that its obsessive is a bit of a joke. Its on once every four years so catch a grip, and think of something a bit more relevant to be complaining about.

[ONeill]

I'm more than happy that these games exist and that physiclly challenged people have a competitive sporting outlet in general. However, i have no interest in the paralympics whatsoever nor its participants. i have canvassed around me over the weekend and i haven't met a single person of a different opinion. with that in mind, why is there such large press coverage?

I have yet to read one word or watch one bit of footage of it. I suggest Uladh should get a girl instead on reading the Sun and watching Eurosport in his '77 jersey.

[Uladh]

53 jersey. i'm a diehard

[Bacon]

How long does this event run for? Is it as long as the Olympic games?

[the colonel]

fair play to michael mckillop from belfast for getting irelands first gold medal at the paralympics. smashed his own world record and is still only 18. ovely fella (took him out golfing when he was a young fella) and his dad paddy is a great coach. used to train cushendall hurlers when they won 3 antrim championships in a row. you can see the video on the link below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7608287.stm

[ziggysego]

Fair play indeed. Good to see some hold on these shores.

[Minder]

fair play to michael mckillop from belfast for getting irelands first gold medal at the paralympics. smashed his own world record and is still only 18. ovely fella (took him out golfing when he was a young fella) and his dad paddy is a great coach. used to train cushendall hurlers when they won 3 antrim championships in a row. you can see the video on the link below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7608287.stm

Colonel i take it that is the same Paddy that used to teach at St Aloysius in Cushendall in the early 90's?

[Bacon]

Fair play indeed. Good to see some hold on these shores.

Is this personal?

[ziggysego]

Personal?

[carribbear]

Good luck to all the athletes taking part in the Paralympics and delighted for young McKillop on his gold medal success. He won't be getting the huge sponsorships like Bolt will but he's a bigger hero in my eyes through his perseverence and dedication through adversity, like all the competitors.

The other olympics is a cheatfest, this is where the world should pay attention.

[Silky]

This is a discusting practise!


Paralympic cheats use adrenalin to gain advantage

By Ian Ransom Reuters - Thursday, September 11 05:55 amBEIJING (Reuters)

- Self-flagellation, mutilation, bladder constriction -- welcome to the world of the Paralympic cheat who reaches for a belt or a sharp object rather than a banned substance to gain an edge in elite competition.

The grisly practice of voluntary autonomic dysreflexia -- commonly known as boosting -- involves disabled athletes beating, stabbing and strapping parts of the body to provoke an adrenalin rush that might improve their performance by up to 25 percent, or failing that, kill them.

"We are talking about headaches, gooseflesh, brain damage, arterial disruption...there have even been cases of athletes passing away," said Peter Van de Vliet, medical and scientific director of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

While generally not regarded as a widespread problem, adherents were found in all sports that catered to athletes whose disabilities precluded a circular central nervous response, said Van de Vliet, such as those with spinal cord injuries.

In essence, athletes who could harm parts of their bodies without feeling pain.

"Typically athletes can induce this through strapping or clamping the bladder or sitting on something sharp because we know that pain stimuli can induce a similar reaction on the...nervous system.

"We find these athletes in table tennis in severe (disability) classes, swimming, in wheelchair racing, they are in cycling."

TESTING PROCESS

Recognised as an unfair advantage and a health threat, boosting entered the IPC's anti-doping code ahead of Athens in 2004 and officials at this month's Beijing Games are keeping a wary eye for tell-tale signs.

High blood pressure readings taken before and after competitions can lead to an athlete's disqualification though no mandatory bans are meted out, unlike in conventional doping cases.

Officials were still working out a suitable process for testing, which invariably could be disruptive to an athlete's preparations before competition, said Van de Vliet.

"We call it a health test, and that's the way we introduce it to our athletes. However, it's part of our doping programme," he said.

In addition to random checks to weed out boosters, officials will carry out some 1,100 urine and blood tests in Beijing, 70 percent more than at Athens, according to Wang Wei, a spokesman for the Games' organising committee.

Out-of-competition testing was also introduced in the lead-up to the Beijing Games, with Pakistani powerlifter Naveed Ahmed Butt the first casualty after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid last week.

The second, German wheelchair basketball player Ahmet Coskun, was sent home on Wednesday after a pre-Games urine test revealed the presence of the banned substance finasteride, a baldness treatment which can mask the use of steroids.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

A tough anti-doping regime for the Paralympics is more necessary than ever, athletes and organisers say.

"I don't see it as a major problem but it's something that we have to be very, very careful about," Philip Craven, President of the IPC, said last week.

"We've got more tests than ever and we're hoping for a very good outcome."

Notions of equal opportunity and participation often obscure the fact that the Paralympics is, for many athletes, an elite competition where a medal-winning performance can secure government funding and corporate sponsorship.

"There are certainly more incentives for Paralympic athletes these days," said Canadian Sarah Hunter, who plays on the professional wheelchair tennis circuit and has been tested at least 10 times this year.

"The stakes are definitely higher."

(Additional reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Clare Fallon)

[the colonel]

fair play to michael mckillop from belfast for getting irelands first gold medal at the paralympics. smashed his own world record and is still only 18. ovely fella (took him out golfing when he was a young fella) and his dad paddy is a great coach. used to train cushendall hurlers when they won 3 antrim championships in a row. you can see the video on the link below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7608287.stm

Colonel i take it that is the same Paddy that used to teach at St Aloysius in Cushendall in the early 90's?

yeah minder the same one. dont think he was there that while long (could be wrong though). he is now at st malachys college in belfast where they have a great record from bringing runners through the school set up. at only 18, michael could go a long way in the sport. he would have been favourite for the 1500m but the paralympics scrapped it because they didnt think there was enough competitors for it.