The Paralympic Games have returned to London, more than a million tickets have been sold, and some events have been sold out for months. A live feed of the games can be accessed on five channels via the official website of the Paralympic Movement.
Each sport has its own criteria for qualification, but all athletes in the games are disabled, bringing exciting twists to the sports we’re used to seeing in the Olympics. Among the sports in the Summer Games are Sitting Volleyball (pictured above), Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Tennis, Para-Triathlon and Wheelchair Fencing.
Sitting Volleyball, for example, requires a smaller court and a lower net and is thus considerably faster than standing volleyball. At all times, an athlete’s pelvis must be touching the ground and service blocks are allowed. In London 2012, 198 athletes with disabilities will be competing in Sitting Volleyball.
In the Swimming competition, the second largest sport at the Paralympic Games, visually impaired swimmers wear blackened goggles to ensure fair competition and have a “tapper” who uses a pole to tap the swimmer as he or she approaches the wall. Aided starts are allowed in Paralympic competition, such as from standing beside the podium, from a sitting position in the water, or having assistance with balance on the podium, provided that an unfair advantage is not reached from this assistance.
Further information on the schedule and the sports is available at the official website.
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