On 23rd August I posted a blog about my unease with certain aspects of the Rio Olympics and Paralympics - see blog - #RioOlympics2016 personal thoughts from a GB perspective and Pierre de Coubertin
One of the objectives of the Paralympic movement is to achieve parity in credibility with the Olympics. I want to buy into that in theory but I am struggling to put the level of achievement by Paralympian's at the same level as an Olympic champion.
Yesterday the news from Rio was that Dame Sarah Storey won another gold medal to make it her 12th so far!
I have nothing against Sarah Storey - I know little or nothing about her. She is clearly a tremendous athlete - very fit and very tenacious but I did google her to find out a bit more about her background. This was the extract from Wikipedia :-
Dame Sarah Joanne Storey, DBE (born 26 October 1977), is a British road and track racing cyclist and former swimmer, multiple gold medal winner at the Paralympic Games in both sports, and three times British (able-bodied) national track champion. Her total of twelve gold medals puts her ahead of Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dave Roberts as the most successful British Paralympian of the modern era (but still behind Mike Kenny in the all-time list).[Storey's list of major achievements also include being a 27-time World champion (5 in swimming and 22 in cycling), a 21-time European champion (18 in swimming and 3 in cycling) and holding 72 world records.
Storey was born Sarah Bailey in Eccles without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb and the hand did not develop as normal.
So Sarah is aged 38 now. Her catalogue of gold medals and world records are in 2 completely different sports. She has held 72 world records.
Similarly David Weir the acclaimed wheelchair athlete has won medals at 100 metres and every distance up to 5000 metres and also 6 London Marathons. He competed in his first games in 1996.
This multi discipline, multi event range, longevity and dominance is unparalleled in the Olympic world.
I want to put them on a pedestal - but I am struggling. It has not been helped by the fact there is an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of Paralympic categories and the unique professionalism of UK lottery funded Paralympian's.
Does it matter. No it doesn't matter until the people behind the promotion of the Paralympic movement claim full parity with the Olympics. In that I feel they have some way to go despite the incredible dedication and wonderful achievement of great people enjoying their sporting life.
Storey was born Sarah Bailey in Eccles without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb and the hand did not develop as normal.
So Sarah is aged 38 now. Her catalogue of gold medals and world records are in 2 completely different sports. She has held 72 world records.
Similarly David Weir the acclaimed wheelchair athlete has won medals at 100 metres and every distance up to 5000 metres and also 6 London Marathons. He competed in his first games in 1996.
This multi discipline, multi event range, longevity and dominance is unparalleled in the Olympic world.
I want to put them on a pedestal - but I am struggling. It has not been helped by the fact there is an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of Paralympic categories and the unique professionalism of UK lottery funded Paralympian's.
Does it matter. No it doesn't matter until the people behind the promotion of the Paralympic movement claim full parity with the Olympics. In that I feel they have some way to go despite the incredible dedication and wonderful achievement of great people enjoying their sporting life.
It would be a lovely world if we could see past disability and just simply acknowledge we are all different.
No comments:
Post a Comment