Paralympics

[SashasGrandad]

Just packing my bags for another trip to East London. Was busy yesterday as had a late call up to officiate at the Diamond League
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mg005/Athletics_2012_British_Grand_Prix/
I appear a few times behind the athletes at start of races. Women's 100m heats (I'm on left - the older chap on the right with the grey tash is from Scotland)

Hopefully the Paras will be as good as the main Olympics - I've been doing my homework to try and memorise all the disability categories. It's important to know your T11s and F53s.

Must remember not to ask T11s to sign the confiscation sheets (they are totally blind).

Must not ask any of the 51 to 58s to stand in line (they are all in wheelchairs)

T40/F40 are Dwarf Athletes and there are no events to Throw/Toss/Carry them!

You can't call "lane identification numbers" - leg numbers - if they have no legs!

This time we are staying in the village with the athletes. I've been watching some of the programmes on Channel 4 including the one where the disabled are taking the piss out of themsleves and I'm scared I will be in the food hall and ask for my favourite ice cream flavour. The white stuff with claret coloured streaks in it!

[Somniloquism]

Anyone watching the opening ceremony. Just started with Hawking talking about the big bang.

[spangley1812]

Anyone watching the opening ceremony. Just started with Hawking talking about the big bang.

I am

[Somniloquism]

There is an awful lot of umbrellas in it already, obviously leading into Rhianna.

[Somniloquism]

As it is on Ch4, I just can't help thinking they are about to show BIG Brother with that big eye in the centre.

[Somniloquism]

The Queen has obviously decided not to parachute in this time, and fuck me, Eddie is there, I thought he was dead!

[Somniloquism]

Well although there are less athletes, they seem to be taking longer. Shame they all couldn't be put into Motorised wheelchairs set to speedy.

[Somniloquism]

Only just reached the K's. This is more excruciating then the main one.

[SashasGrandad]

Finished at just past midnight. It was getting a bit cold so there was long queues for hot drinks in the foodhall when athletes and officials finally got back to the village.

Things will take a bit longer, some things might overrun but this is the paralympics. If you are missing an arm, a leg, your eyesight, a TV schedule does not matter that much. When you watch a bloke with no arms eat his breakfast with his feet you realise how lucky you are.

We (at the athletics) don't start till tomorrow -got a briefing at 11am today.


   

[Somniloquism]

The actual show part of it was well done I thought. And the athletes entrance can always drag within these.

[Dave Cooper please]

Here we go, a World Record in the pool already.

[Dave Cooper please]

Oh, and that girl presenting with Jonathan Edwards on C4 is rather nice.

[Nev]

Only caught a bit of the coverage today, lot's of adverts inevitably not made any more tolerable by publicity limpet Beckham voicing the Sainsbury's ad at either end of the break. Other than that it seems quite measured, informative and professional. Hoping to catch more at the weekend.

[Somniloquism]

We were watching it at work with the sub titles on as we had no sound.

The nice one presenting it in the morning lost a leg but is/was a runner.

Watching the 100m backstroke qualifiers won by a guy with no arms was inspiring. He pretty much has to keep his legs moving all the time to stay afloat.

[Chris Jameson]

I'm getting stick from my kids because I haven't been watching it. I am watching the Diamond League from Zurich though and thoroughly enjoying it. Bolt just eased to victory in the 200m.