"After 2 weeks of watching some drug addicts participate in the Olympics, then for the next 2 weeks, you could watch some non steriod using athletes doing sporty things in the disabled version of the Olympics called the Paralympics. As a non fan of athletics, I love to watch the Paralympic athletics. and actually knew and trained with the British Paralympic Judo squad while I was at college. Over the years, the BBC coverage has grown from just 2 hour highlights to couple of actually live coverage as well as the highlights and was even on Radio 5 as well. Well this time, despite the live covarage of the opening cermony today at 12.50 (lunch time) GMT and tomorrow, the BBC will show 1 hour highlights of the sporting events all week. I am so excited by this that I could just wet myself." Looks down. "Damm, too late."

At least the BBC carries somesort of coverage! I think finding any coverage here in the US is like finding a needle in a haystack... It would be great if the Paraolympics received at least some of the fanfare that the regular Olympics do here, since the para athletes train just as hard (if not harder) than able athletes. They should be recognized for it as much as the athletes are at the Olympics. Oops. I think that was more of a rant than I meant it to be! I'll get off my soapbox now....

I agree Hinotori. I wish it got better coverage over here in the U.S. too. I find it more interesting to watch these people do the same things as everyone else and sometimes even better!

I think Canada is poor on showing the Para Olympics as well. I would love to see some of it, seeing as I know a couple of people who are competing.

Originally posted by clouddancer I think Canada is poor on showing the Para Olympics as well.

Terry Fox would be disappointed with Canada. I saw a TV news story a few weeks ago about a runner who has two prosthetic legs who petitioned to be eligible for the Olympics, but they still won't let him compete -they say that his prosthetic legs give him an unfair advantage!

I have heard stories like that as well LB! Sad isn't it. Can't compete in the Olympics because they have a disability and can't compete in the para Olympics because they have an advantage.

Actually the athlete was a South Afriican and they did let him to the tryout for his team but he wasn't fast enough (he has an advantage, yeah right) and therefore he couldn't be in the Olympics but GB did have a swimmer who was a Paralympician who did compete and while watching the opening ceronomy (and WOAH it was undiscrible brilliant and amazing) couple of the commentators said that some of the Paralympians in the past and present were actually in the Olympics before they had various accidents which made them disabled but they carried on during sports, which led them to the Paralympics. And what I saw at the end of the opening ceronomy was dumbfounded briliant. A former Chinese Paralympian in a wheelchair pulled himself up with the torch tro lit the huge torch thingy to open the games. In fact, there were 1 million Chinese volunteers, which incled dancers, disabled singers and performers. AND a kid who survived the recent earthquakes over there was in a wheelchair with one leg and still performed a ballet. Oh and by the way folks, if you go to the BBC website (I will try to find it) they will stream the whole thing online.

Originally posted by Metaliant Actually the athlete was a South Afriican and they did let him to the tryout for his team but he wasn't fast enough (he has an advantage, yeah right) and therefore he couldn't be in the Olympics but GB did have a swimmer who was a Paralympician who did compete and while watching the opening ceronomy (and WOAH it was undiscrible brilliant and amazing) couple of the commentators said that some of the Paralympians in the past and present were actually in the Olympics before they had various accidents which made them disabled but they carried on during sports, which led them to the Paralympics. And what I saw at the end of the opening ceronomy was dumbfounded briliant. A former Chinese Paralympian in a wheelchair pulled himself up with the torch tro lit the huge torch thingy to open the games. In fact, there were 1 million Chinese volunteers, which incled dancers, disabled singers and performers. AND a kid who survived the recent earthquakes over there was in a wheelchair with one leg and still performed a ballet. Oh and by the way folks, if you go to the BBC website here they will stream the whole thing online.

Actually the athlete was a South Afriican and they did let him to the tryout for his team but he wasn't fast enough (he has an advantage, yeah right) and therefore he couldn't be in the Olympics but GB did have a swimmer who was a Paralympician who did compete and while watching the opening ceronomy (and WOAH it was undiscrible brilliant and amazing) couple of the commentators said that some of the Paralympians in the past and present were actually in the Olympics before they had various accidents which made them disabled but they carried on during sports, which led them to the Paralympics. And what I saw at the end of the opening ceronomy was dumbfounded briliant. A former Chinese Paralympian in a wheelchair pulled himself up with the torch tro lit the huge torch thingy to open the games. In fact, there were 1 million Chinese volunteers, which incled dancers, disabled singers and performers. AND a kid who survived the recent earthquakes over there was in a wheelchair with one leg and still performed a ballet. Oh and by the way folks, if you go to the BBC website here they will stream the whole thing online.

Oops, was trying to edit the bloody thing but it double posted. Wasn't me honest.

That is okay Met. Besides it is one way to get your post count up again.

Don't say that ortherwise I do more than double posts.

Right, for thoses who are interested and don't know, the Paralympics have just finished (in the evening over there, afternoon here and morning in the Americas). The closing ceremony was as undescriblably brilliant as the opening one and yet, if anybody was watching the Olympics closing ceremony, the red bus was back but not with Mr Beckham kicking a ball into the crowd and Boris Johnson (the flop haired blond haired idiot Mayor of London) was back and actually waved the Paralympic flag a bit better than what he attempted to do at the Olympics. For me, despite the problems with medals being taken away, disabled people who were kicked out because they weren't disabled enough (what the......?) this has been the best Paralympics I have ever watched and enjoyed 110%. However, I don't think personally that the opening and closing ceremonies of 2012 will be as moving or beautiful as the Chinese ones but we will see. I may even try to spend almost 2 weeks in London to actually see it live.

Thanks for the updates Met, didn't watch any of it myself though. Too busy in RL right now.

The Chinese are artists in everything they do. They value it in their culture. I always thought they would put on a good show.