bookmark_borderParalympics

Not getting much coverage, are they?

Consider this story where the final of the mens 100m was held at 9am with only a few hundred people in the stands. Yet the heats, held in the evening, were watched by 30,000 people.

Now, imagine if they’d scheduled the mens 100m Olympic final at a similar time. Outrage! Headlines on all the newspapers, pundits bemoaning the terrible planning, proof that, in fact, the Greeks didn’t get it right.

It’s sad that the same outrage isn’t evident here. I watched some of the basketball the other night (hard to find, buried away on EuroSport) and top quality it was too. In fact it was more impressive than the Olympic competition as the extra skills and effort these guys put into their sport is evident. Surely THESE are the best people to uphold the Olympic spirit? Why are we lauding these able bodied athletes? The great spirit lies within those whose bodies fight against them, and still they find the energy, strength and sheer will to do amazing things.