2008 Paralympics show Games' improvements

Videos
Photos

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-19 07:46

There were athletes in wheelchairs, and some with prostheses in place of missing limbs. We were awed, inspired and deeply moved by their powerful performances and sheer determination to overcome their physical disabilities in these final, exciting days of the Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing.

We were particularly impressed by the swimming style of Takayuki Suzuki, who won the gold medal and set a new world record in the men's 50m breaststroke.

He has no right leg at all, and his left leg is missing from the mid-thigh. His right arm ends at the elbow.

But by twisting and flexing his upper body and hips, Suzuki propels himself and accelerates.

His perfectly balanced style, achieved by using every part of his body, was as beautiful as that of the Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima, whose style is said to be the most beautiful in the world.

"I was born like this, so this is my natural style," Suzuki said. His matter-of-fact self-analysis was refreshing.

We cannot even begin to imagine the strength of character it takes to acquire or regain physical locomotive power that was partially lost due to illness or accident.

Masashi Ishii was a professional cyclist when he was hit by a car during practice and suffered a serious brain injury. He had episodes of memory loss and inability to concentrate, which forced him to give up his career. He underwent intensive rehabilitation and five years later returned to competition.

In Beijing, he won the men's 1km time trial to set a world record.

"Beijing was the start of my second life," the 35-year-old Paralympian said, understandably, with much feeling.

From these athletes' passion and determination to win, we sense the Paralympics are now transforming. Since their inception half a century ago with the objective of promoting self-sufficiency and social participation by the physically disabled, the Games have lately become noticeably competitive in nature, with athletes aiming for higher standards of excellence.

In the Beijing Paralympics, some traditional classifications based on categories of disability were merged. As a result, there were 10 percent fewer gold medals being awarded this time compared to four years ago in Athens.

The purpose of the consolidation of some classifications was to raise the value of the medals by reducing cases in which medals are competed for among only a few athletes.

Proportionate to the higher performance levels, some athletes competed in the swimming and table tennis events in both the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

Figuratively speaking, the mountain grows bigger as the pinnacle rises higher, and doping has emerged as one of the negative consequences. However, we believe the Paralympic Games themselves are going in the right direction.

There are challenges, of course. Athletes are required to spend more time training and shoulder more financial burdens to participate in the Games.

But in Japan, only a handful of athletes have corporate or other sponsors that enable them to train full time for events for the physically disabled. The gap between the fortunate ones and those who are not ought to be narrowed, even if it may not be as narrow as with Olympic athletes.

Since four years ago, both the Olympics and the Paralympics have been under the management of the same organizing committee. It is time for Japan, too, to consider both as a package and treat them accordingly.

The Beijing Paralympics ended on Wednesday. We should think of the future of sports for people with disabilities.

The Asahi Shimbun

(China Daily 09/19/2008 page9)