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This is an account of life in an Olympic city. Capturing the final preparations before the Opening Ceremony as well as the Games themselves.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Paraolympics are still Olympics
I have to admit that after my almost daily attendances at the Olympic stadia during August, I have been a bit slow in going to any Paraolympic events.
This is not because I do not value it as high, but because I have started working again in September so I am quite busy!
I have been following their coverage on TV and I have some comments to make:
What I do not know about is the coverage the Games are getting abroad, is TV showing anything of the Paraolympic Games? what are the comments like?
This is not because I do not value it as high, but because I have started working again in September so I am quite busy!
I have been following their coverage on TV and I have some comments to make:
- The attendance in the Athens Paraolympics is beyond the wildest dreams reaching 750,000 tickets, compared to the empty stadia at Sydney 4 years ago.
- The support for the athletes has been really warm, not only for the winning athletes but the less succesful as well. I have watched a wheelchair basketball game between Greece and Japan, were the Greek team lost really badly to Japan, still the crowd cheered every attempt until the very end.
- For various reasons people with disabilities in Greece have been living in the shadows of society. These Games have provided a great opportunity for the people of Greece to realise the needs and capabilities of these people. I am glad to say that the response of the public has been very encouraging and can be easily seen by the large crowds in the Paraolympic Games. A whole new infrastructure has been developed for these people and although it is not as good as other developed nations, it is a good start.
- The sportscasters on NET (Greek State TV that covers the Games), have been the only underwhelming part of the puzzle. Most of them did not know how to handle the occasion and have made a number of unfortunate (in my opinion) comments about people with disabilities
- The Opening Ceremony was very good, I loved the massive tree in the middle of the arena, as well as the way the flame was lit.
What I do not know about is the coverage the Games are getting abroad, is TV showing anything of the Paraolympic Games? what are the comments like?
Comments:
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Thanks for the great blog and your thoughts on the Games! I was there for the final week and attended the closing ceremony. Overall, I was very impressed with what Greece showed the world and as a Greek myself, I was quite proud.
As for the Paralympics, I saw bits of the Opening/Closing ceremonies on the news on TV but that is all that was showed in the US! No coverage whatsoever of the Games, no updates on what happened during the evening news, nothing. From what I've heard from friends and family back home in Athens, it was a remarkable experience for everyone but those of us on this side of the pond will never know. Shameful.
I sent a letter to the head of sports broadcasting at NBC complaining about the lack of coverage and they ignored it. Still, I was glad to hear the Games went beautifully and I hope they leave a legacy of respect and understanding among those lucky enough to have watched them.
Thanks again for your great commentary, I looked forward to reading it during the Games. I hope you continue on another subject!
Kala na pernas!
~Athena, NYC
As for the Paralympics, I saw bits of the Opening/Closing ceremonies on the news on TV but that is all that was showed in the US! No coverage whatsoever of the Games, no updates on what happened during the evening news, nothing. From what I've heard from friends and family back home in Athens, it was a remarkable experience for everyone but those of us on this side of the pond will never know. Shameful.
I sent a letter to the head of sports broadcasting at NBC complaining about the lack of coverage and they ignored it. Still, I was glad to hear the Games went beautifully and I hope they leave a legacy of respect and understanding among those lucky enough to have watched them.
Thanks again for your great commentary, I looked forward to reading it during the Games. I hope you continue on another subject!
Kala na pernas!
~Athena, NYC
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I dont agree with your comments about empty stadia at the Sydney Paralympics. I went and the crowds were huge. The final ticket sales were 1.1 million. source http://english.people.com.cn/english/200010/30/eng20001030_53896.html
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