Нужны ли паралимпийские игры

Clearly the International Paralympic Committee has a responsibility to do all it can to ensure this abuse does not happen but as with all systems no matter how secure, it is very difficult to defend against a determined individual.Linked to the last issue is that of athlete classification and here there are both internal and external issues. Paralympic sport will never enjoy the same clarity in every individual discipline that comes from having one gold medal and thus one Paralympic champion. One of the underlying principles of sport is that competition should be fair. Sports go to significant lengths to ensure they maintain this principle –judo/boxing use weight classifications, orienteering use age classifications. Thus it is generally believed that in Paralympic sport the development of the functional classification system has provided an opportunity to merge classes from different disability groups thus increasing the value of the medal and level of world competition.This does not mean that a blind athlete might compete against an athlete who uses a wheelchair for daily living. But it does mean that a paraplegic athlete could compete against a cerebral palsy athlete with similar physical potential using wheelchairs. In this latter case it could even mean that an athlete with a leg amputation who normally walks and has a prosthetic aid could decide to use the wheelchair to race because he has the same physical potential as the paraplegic and cerebral palsy athletes after assessment. Why might he do this? It may be that he finds it easier to compete in this way rather than running on a prosthesis or he simply sees the racing wheelchair as a piece of sports equipment. As the stigma of the wheelchair diminishes in society this approach could grow. Even now in wheelchair basketball because of the popularity of the game and in some regions of the world because of a lack of players, able-bodied people play the sport at a domestic level on a regular basis. Internally this move to merge meets with two kinds of opposition. Those who genuinely worry about the fairness of the system because it is under development and mistakes can still occur in those crucial assessments. Then there remain a few who oppose because they do not want to see any diminution in classes because they know they will face tougher opposition and less chance to win medals. There is no doubt which view will ultimately prevail.Of course doping and unethical performance enhancing techniques are significant issues within Paralympic sport. IPC has signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) agreements and there is more and more competition and out-of-competition testing. However we cannot be complacent as WADA can only control those elements that it knows about. WADA therefore needs to incorporate Paralympic experts to educate and instruct its officers and regulation makers in any potential unethical practices that are specific to high performance athletes with a disability and are made possible because of the specific nature of the individual’s disabilityProbably the greatest threat being experienced similarly in the Olympic movement and other major sports federations is the huge difference between those who ‘have’ and those who ‘have not’. In Paralympic sport the major inhibitor to participation equity is the attitude towards people with a disability in some societies and the explosion in sophisticated equipment with all the expense involved in areas such as designer wheelchairs and prosthetics. There is no doubt that sport has driven innovation in these critical areas and the benefits to society as a whole are enormous. Lighter, more maneuverable wheelchairs, prosthetics that are designed for the efficiency of the mechanics rather than cosmetically have all changed the way people can live their lives. But to the child in some very poor country recently maimed by a land-mine any kind of independent means of moving is a luxury and a far cry from the made-to-measure mobility we see on our ‘sophisticated’ streets every day. IPC now knows that it has a leading role to play in bridging this gap.The most important factor at this time is the continued development of a positive and mutually supporting role between the IOC and the IPC –so in effect this lesson has come full circle. Can the IPC ever see the day when it can stand alone without the IOC? The answer is maybe but unlikely. The best way for IPC to meet the ever increasing demands of its athletes and match their standards in terms of the organization of the Paralympic Games is by this amazing, fortuitous link. The Olympic Games guarantee that approximately two weeks after that major event there is a reprise on a smaller scale but with all the venues and infrastructure in place for a parallel event for elite athletes with a disability, Paralympians.To draw the conclusion, one can say thatthe Paralympic Games are of great importance as they have following values: determination – the drive and motivation to overcome both physical and mental barriers in order to achieve your goals; courage – having the self-belief and confidence to overcome adversity and face difficulty; equality – showing respect and humility towards all those around you in the spirit of fair play; inspiration – to be motivated by the achievements and actions of others and to be a positive example to others.Generally, Paralympic sports and its wonderful representatives are attracting more and more attention. The athletes themselves with their amazing results have done a lot to promote the Paralympic movement. The key mission of the Paralympic movement is to raise the interest in sports and to promote full integration of people with disabilities into society. The Sochi Paralympics have contributed to these efforts and will attract more people with various illnesses into sports and regular exercise. Overall, it should give them faith in themselves, in their strength and capabilities. The Paralympic athletes’ achievements and their will to win are an excellent example of how people with disabilities can lead an active lifestyle and achieve success.To support Paralympic sportis an integralpart of our overallefforts to pay attention to bigproblems of citizenswithhealth restrictions, to create a trulycomfortable, affordable, barrier-free environmentfor healthy living, personaldevelopment and creativity.The problemof intensive development ofthe Paralympic movementis of paramount importance. Thishumanistic principleplays anindispensable rolein peopleeducation especiallyforour youth, social and moralresponsibility and maturity. Through sportuniqueexamplesof personal courage and strength of our athleteswe can understand and adopt theprinciples of equalopportunities for all citizens.ReferencesLandry, Fernand (1995): “Paralympic Games and social integration”, in Moragas, Miquel de and MiquelBotella (eds.): The Keys to success: the social, sporting, economic and communication impact of Barcelona’92. Bellaterra :Servei de Publicacions de la UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, p. 124 - 138. Scruton, J. (1998): Stoke Mandeville road to the Paralympics: fifty years of history. Brill Aylesbury :Peterhouse Press.http://eng.kremlin.ru/transcripts/6772http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117050/why-disabled-do-not-watch-paralympicshttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/dec/03/two-thirds-disabled-people-oppose-paralympicshttp://www.theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2011/dec/06/dont-blow-paralympics-budget-opening-ceremonyAppendixesParticipants of Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014CountryNumber of athletesAustralia9Austria13Andorra1Argentina3Armenia1Belarus10Belgium2Bulgaria2Bosnia and Herzegovina2Brazil2United Kingdom12Germany13Greece1Denmark2Iran1Iceland2Spain7Italy34Kazakhstan5Canada49China11Mexico1Mongolia1The Netherlands7New Zealand3Norway32Poland8Russia69Romania1Serbia1Slovakia16Slovenia1United States80Turkey2Uzbekistan2Ukraine23Finland13France14Croatia2Czech Republic18Chile2Switzerland22Sweden22South Korea27Japan20Medal chart of Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014Total number of medalsTotalPlaceCountryGoldSilverBronze1 Russia302822802 Germany951153 Canada727164 Ukraine5911255 France534126 Slovakia32277 Japan31268 USA279189 Austria2541110 Great Britain1326Total727272216Kinds of Sports at Winter Paralympic Games Biathlon Alpine Skiing Cross-Country Skiing Ice Sledge Hockey Wheelchair CurlingKinds of Sports at SummerParalympic Games•Rowing; •Wheelchair Basketball;•Boccia; •Cycling; •Dressage; •Goalball; •Judo; •Athletics; • Table Tennis; •Paratriatlon; • Sailing; •Swimming;•Bullet shooting; •WheelchairRugby; •Sittingvolleyball; •Archery; •Wheelchair Tennis; •Weightlifting; •Fencingin wheelchairs; •Football5x5; •Football7x7.ParalympicGamesHostCitiesYearSummerParalympicGamesWinterParalympicGames1960Rome, Italy1964Tokyo, Japan1968TelAviv, Israel1972Heidelberg, WestGermany1976Toronto, CanadaÖrnsköldsvik, Sweden1980Arnhem, NetherlandsGeilo, Norway1984Stoke Mandeville, United KingdomNew York, United StatesInnsbruck, Austria1988Seoul, SouthKoreaInnsbruck, Austria1992BarcelonaandMadrid, SpainTignes & Albertville, France1994Lillehammer, Norway1996Atlanta, UnitedStates1998Nagano, Japan2000Sydney, Australia2002Salt Lake City, United States2004Athens, Greece2006Turin, Italy2008Beijing, China2010Vancouver, Canada2012London, UnitedKingdom2014Sochi, Russia2016RiodeJaneiro, Brazil2018Pyeongchang, SouthKorea2020Tokyo, Japan