Vancouver hosts Paralympics
Posted by The Skyliner on April 7th, 2010Christine Parks
Staff Writer
Vancouver not only hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics but also the 2010 Winter Paralympics.
Paralympics allows athletes with physical or visual impairments to compete in their sports. The 2010 Winter Paralympics hosted five sports: alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and sledge hockey. From March 12-21, men and women competed to win the gold and overcome their own physical obstacles. Even difficult weather conditions did not prevent these athletes from finishing the competitions.
The Paralympics originated in 1948, although at the time the name Paralympics was not used. World War II veterans who had spinal injuries in Stoke Mandeville, England, competed in sports organized by Sir Ludwig Guttmann. Competitors from the Netherlands joined four years later. By 1960 in Rome, the event took an Olympic style and the Paralympics was formed. In 2001, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) signed an agreement that the Paralympics would always be held in the same location as the Olympics. Thus, Vancouver was graced with the privilege of hosting two Olympic events.
The competitors are judged as athletes based on their skill and not their disabilities.
Competitors have found ways to overcome their physical difficulties by using equipment suited for their bodies and the help of others. Visually impaired competitors in the skiing events are led by another skier who is wearing a brightly colored jacket. The brightly clothed skier enables the competing athlete to follow them and therefore maneuver the course safely. Competitors in sledge hockey use, as the word implies, a type of sledge which guards the player while enabling the person to be mobile on ice. The hockey players use two sticks to help move across the ice and also control the puck.
The 2010 Winter Paralympics helped broadcast an event which showcased athletes who overcame more than a competition; they overcame personal tragedies and triumphed. For more information on the Paralympics or the 2010 Winter Paralympics, visit the Vancouver 2010 website. Another site to visit is the official Paralympic website, separate from the Vancouver games. Information concerning the history can be found by clicking the tab entitled Paralympic games.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 10