Paralympics 2021, Tokyo, 24 Aug - 5 Sept

[PomBstard]

We've had the Olympics, which some consider just to be the two-week warm up to the main event, so here come the Paralympics.

What sports, and who, are you watching?

We've got:
Ellie Cole - Aussie swimmer
Ellen Keane - Irish swimmer
Tiffany Thomas-Kane - Aussie swimmer from the same club as PB Jnr2
Jaco van Gass - British cyclist who also completed the Cape Epic a couple of years ago

Though we'll end up watching a shed-load of all sorts, no doubt! And if you need a warm up, have a watch of Rising Phoenix on Netflix...

[SydneyBridge]

C4 have coverage of everything as which will be good. Will watch anything with Team GB in

Went to a day at the athletics in 2012, and was superb. Saw Richard Whitehead win just below us

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=richard+white...

Bit slow on the bend but not too bad on the straight...

Edited by SydneyBridge on Friday 20th August 18:23

[Hill92]

Opening ceremony on channel 4 now.

Edit: Thought that was much, much better than the Olympics one. Shows it is possible to make a toned down ceremony still amazing and emotional.

Edited by Hill92 on Tuesday 24th August 14:58

[PomBstard]

As ours is mostly a swimming household, we've been watching the finals this evening. Shame Ellie Cole couldn't match the others for another medal in the 400m Free S9, but was a good close finish for Lucky Patterson to get gold.

Watched some of the S1 and S2 finals too - the level of core fitness some of these swimmers have is astonishing, and having seen some of these races up close it can appear unsettling until you realise the swimmer is in control and is possibly going to post a faster time than you could.

Followed that up with some wheelchair rugby - they go hard!

Missed much of the cycling earlier, so that'll be this evening's late entertainment.

[bigandclever]

The son of one of my mates is now a Paralympic champion. Ben Popham in the swimming 100m freestyle S8, absolutely smashed it

Unfortunately he’s Australian, although his mum and dad are Brits, but you can’t have everything.

[PomBstard]

bigandclever said:

The son of one of my mates is now a Paralympic champion. Ben Popham in the swimming 100m freestyle S8, absolutely smashed it

Unfortunately he’s Australian, although his mum and dad are Brits, but you can’t have everything.

I bet your mate is chuffed though, even if their son is an Aussie...

Just saw that Daniel Dias has bagged another medal - I think he's the most successful Paralympian ever in terms of medals won...

[AlexRS2782]

I'm usually up a fair chunk of the night / morning so just like the Olympics i've got the coverage on and catching bits & pieces so at the moment the swimming and bits of the table tennis on the first day.

Quite enjoyed watching the wheelchair team events on More4 later in the morning - pretty brutal hits in the rugby, and even in the basketball, at times.

Also great to see Dame Sarah Storey still smashing her own WR's and adding to her gold tally.

[PomBstard]

Just saw Jaco van Gass take gold in the C3 3000m Individual Pursuit - fantastic result in his first Paralympics and PB Jnr2 was duly very chuffed to see it too!

[anonymous-user]

Keep an eye on Josef Metalka in the men’s C4 track cycling individual pursuit tomorrow and the road race/time trial next week. Josef is coached by Kyleigh Manners based at Newport Velodrome who is an all round top bloke.

[PomBstard]

Small explosion in our house last night when Ellen Keane touched first in the 100 Breaststroke SB8 final. Ellen is PB Jnr2's hero and has been wonderfully supportive from afar. It was also her fourth Paralympics, despite still being only 26. Remarkable.

Ellie Cole - another wonderfully supportive person announced she'd raced her last 400m Free S9 after Tuesday's final. I don't think Ellie will ever be far from swimming though, a natural to be a coach or similar.

And we watch Tully Kearney tear the WR a new one in the S5 100m Free - stunning swim.

[andyA700]

Sarah Storey, what an athlete!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Storey

[AlexRS2782]

Great last day at the cycling the previous night and fantastic for the GB WC rugby beating Japan to reach the final. Also been catching the triathlon coverage the last 2 nights. Incredible finish with the wheelchair race for gold / silver and so close the night before with GB chasing down the French in the visual impairment.

Edit - and another full spread of medals for Steadman, Peasgood & Cashmore.

Edited by AlexRS2782 on Sunday 29th August 01:51

[Russ35]

One of our ex-club members, Victoria Rumary has won a Bronze in the Women's W1 Archery this morning.

Edited by Russ35 on Wednesday 1st September 12:21

[Randy Winkman]

Well done to Sarah Storey. I've just watched the road race that she won. Gee whizz the weather was a bit ropey.

[rider73]

Been a great Olympics , loving every minute of it... having to watch most of it on catch up and avoid the internet a bit though

[albundy89]

Maybe I am alone here but why is someone that competes in the commonwealth games road race allowed to compete in the paralympics .

Surely if she`s competing at that level she has a distinct advantage.

[egor110]

Woman from our running club won a bronze today - Hannah Taunton

[Murph7355]

albundy89 said:

Maybe I am alone here but why is someone that competes in the commonwealth games road race allowed to compete in the paralympics .

Surely if she`s competing at that level she has a distinct advantage.

Am assuming you mean non-para Commonwealth Games?

Presumably they have a condition that qualifies them for the Paralympics. Surely it's to be celebrated that someone in that position can compete in non-para games too...?

I do find some of the classes confusing (some effort was made this games to explain them, but not enough ).

I also suspect the days of people doing 8 Olympic games will be limited as the competition steps up, but what a feat that is. Incredible from all of these athletes.

[egor110]

Hannah is completely able to beat able bodied people , she's quick enough to automatically qualify for London marathon but i think her learning disabilities qualify her.

The guy who puzzles me is the noisy American runner who's been featured on last leg , visually he's not missing anything , he's cocky as fk which is unlike many of the athletes with learning disabilities.