Aussies Paralympic Discussion thread

[BGman]

Tokyo Paralympics August 24-September 5.

I do enjoy the Olympics but I am inspired by the Paralympics. Australia has fielded a stong Olympic disabled team ever since I watched my first Paras in Barcelona in 1992. We have produced such athletic greats as Frank Ponta, Peter Homann, Louise Sauvage, Roy Fowler, Kurt Fernley, Tracey Freeman, and our greatest medalist superfish Matthew Cowdrey. Ponta, Homann and Sauvage have been inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame. Almost a cert that Cowdrey with 21 medals.. 13 of those gold and the inspirational Fernley, who crawled the Kokoda Track, plus others such as skiing maestro Michael Milton or swimmers Priya Cooper and Jacqueline Freney, will be future inductees.

Home | Paralympics Australia

Helping Australians with disabilities participate in sport and compete at the Paralympic Games through a wide variety of partnerships.

www.paralympic.org.au

Athletes | Paralympics Australia

Extraordinary stories from inspiring individuals Everyone has a story to tell. This is your chance to meet your Paralympians and find out what drives them to keep on achieving their dreams.

www.paralympic.org.au

Read these bios.. all uplifting stories about their sports journey.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Starts tomorrow, weirdly I love this competition as it is so uplifting.

I just hope they EXPLAIN the categories.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Anyone watching the opening ceremony? Reckon I'm on half an hour delay in SA given its on after the Voice.

These Opening ceremonies tend to start 8pm local time so that's 8.30 SA time, 9pm EST. A 7+ has it live.

 

[Drummond]

Anyone watching the opening ceremony? Reckon I'm on half an hour delay in SA given its on after the Voice.

These Opening ceremonies tend to start 8pm local time so that's 8.30 SA time, 9pm EST. A 7+ has it live.

Yep watching it now. Missed the very start. No comments by anyone on 7, is anyone commentating on this?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yep watching it now. Missed the very start. No comments by anyone on 7, is anyone commentating on this?

Very good opening ceremony so far very enjoyable

 

[Drummond]

Very good opening ceremony so far very enjoyable

From the 10 minutes I’ve watched it has more soul and life than the Olympics opening ceremony did.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

From the 10 minutes I’ve watched it has more soul and life than the Olympics opening ceremony did.

Really like the lights with the flags. If you get a chance watch the opening part of the ceremony it’s awesome (first 20min)

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Yep watching it now. Missed the very start. No comments by anyone on 7, is anyone commentating on this?

I decided to watch it on delay on 7 rather than jump ahead. Kurt Fearnley, Johanna Griggs and female para swimmer, whose name I forget but recognize from Sydney and Athens is the other one.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Annabelle Williams is the para swimmer also commentating. My bad she started in Beijing 2008 and not Sydney 2000.

That giant from Iran was huge. missed what sport he is doing but had a walking disability it seemed.

 

[Royces Hart]

Annabelle Williams is the para swimmer also commentating. My bad she started in Beijing 2008 and not Sydney 2000.

That giant from Iran was huge. missed what sport he is doing but had a walking disability it seemed.

Sitting volleyball, 8’1.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Annabelle Williams is the para swimmer also commentating. My bad she started in Beijing 2008 and not Sydney 2000.

That giant from Iran was huge. missed what sport he is doing but had a walking disability it seemed.

She is really good. Commentated the Swimming Trials before

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Looking forward to seeing how an armless medal winner puts the medal over their head.

 

[Royces Hart]

Looking forward to seeing how an armless medal winner puts the medal over their head.

Glad that’s what you are looking forward to

 

[BGman]

Woke painfully early.. so watched the OC replay. Beat the Olympic OC. The Japanese put all their heart into their performances. Prefer the colorful lite displays over the fireworks hands down.
Question: Where were our athletes? I saw only our flag bearers and another person.. I expect that was our Chef de Mission.

 

[BGman]

Plenty of Aussies kicking off our campaign on first day. In swimming, track cycling, table tennis, wheelchair rugby and basketball.

Again we have been given use of the brilliant 7Plus multi sport channel.

Athlete bios:

 

[BGman]

I dead set had Aussie Rohan Crothers breaking the 50m free world record about two metres out.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Did I read that our cyclist Greco just set a new world record in the Pursuit.

Yep just happened smashed it.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No surprise I suppose as she smashed a couple of world records at the 2019 World Titles.

She's our star on the track will win at least 3

 

[danielnajdek]

Cycling team looks like the bench mark. Big difference from the Olympic Cycling team.

 

[manureid]

Very weird rule in the wheelchair rugby. Danes had the ball, scores level with about 55 seconds left. 40 second shot clock. So Aussies should in theory have some time left to score. They run it to about 2 seconds on shot clock then call a time out. Shot clock disappears and Danes can just run it in with 2 seconds or so left.

The shot clock should stay the same surely.

 

[Tadpole]

Two gold in quick succession in the swimming to Lakeisha Patterson in the women’s S9 400m freestyle, and Will Martin in the men’s S9 400m freestyle.

 

[Johnboi]

Great start by our team. As a disability support worker I'm probably biased but I love the Paralympics...so glad it is getting better coverage on TV than the hour highlights package we used to get at 5pm every night.

 

[smasha]

Go Aussie Paralympic team!

 

[dogs105]

Loving the goalball

 

[hamohawk1]

Goalball fantastic to watch.