The 2008 Paralympic Games: The Best Ever?

Every 4 years, organizers of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have a tradition of calling the games “the best ever” during the closing ceremonies. Still, despite traditional platitudes, the 2008 Paralympics were still exceptional. This year saw over 4,000 athletes, 1.3 million spectators, and plenty of television coverage around the globe. But could they have been better?



One reason was because of the top-notch facilities; as we already know, Beijing’s Olympic venues are top notch. The athletes I saw on TV all mentioned how the sport venues and Olympic Village were the best in recent history. Another factor I think is important is the spectator attendance. Low attendance may have been a hot news story for some of the Olympic events, but attendance for the Paralympics was high, even selling out the Bird’s Nest frequently. As expected, the opening and closing ceremonies for the games were also festive and spectacular.

Still, I contend that there are way to make the Paralympics even more memorable. One way to do this is to inject some “star power” into the games. Everyone knows who swimmer Michael Phelps is, but have you heard of Trischa Zorn (41 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze swimming medals throughout the Paralympics of the 1980s and 1990s)? Recognizing superstar athletes makes the events more exciting to follow, regardless of whether the champion wins or is upset by an up-and-coming star.


American swimmer Trischa Zorn

I think the biggest problem with the Paralympic Games is that they are held directly after the Olympics, and become obscured by the shadow of the Olympics. The media were already putting the “post-Olympics hangover” in headlines before the Paralympics even started. Why not have the Paralympics one year after the Olympics? This would ensure that the games grab everyone’s attention. It would also be a good way to continue using those oft-lauded venues well after the original Olympics, and increase the significance of the Paralympics in general. I believe there would also be indirect effects by holding the Paralympics one year after the Olympics, such as increasing funding for the event.

It does not appear that the IOC will be changing the standard arrangement for the 2012 London Paralympics, but the improvements made between Sydney’s and Athens’ “best ever” games in 2000 and 2004, and Beijing’s “best ever” games in 2008, are obvious even if they can still do more. Hopefully the increased media coverage will lead to more scrutiny of the Paralympics among the general public worldwide, and this help make the Paralympics an even more prominent event in 2012 and beyond.

Posted at 05:45PM Sep 22, 2008 by admin in In Focus  |  Comments[2]