The London 2012 Olympics - The Events

[Scott]

Wonderful Ben Cohen nails it again.

TST, shall we have a new topic for Paralympics discussion and commentary, or continue in here?

Awful...

We get it quite good thanks to C4 as they're doing a Beeb:

Channel 4 today outlined its plans for the most extensive coverage of the Paralympic Games that has ever been broadcast in the UK.

More than 150 hours of all-day everyday coverage will be broadcast during the twelve days of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Multiple channels and platforms will broadcast live sport on Channel 4, More4 and online at Channel4.com.

In addition, Channel 4 will broadcast three further streams of uninterrupted live coverage of a range of sports at the Paralympic Games. These will be available as three dedicated channels on the Sky platform, in both standard and high definition, as well as online at Channel4.com - with the streams also expected to launch on Virgin Media.

Channel 4 has also announced the launch of dedicated Paralympics apps for both mobile and tablet devices - compatible with iOS and Android. The apps, which will be free to download, will enable users to review the latest Paralympic action with comprehensive catch up clips of events. The tablet app will also allow users to watch live streamed action. The apps and the Channel4.com/Paralympics website will also feature continuously updated live text commentary, news, results and medal tables.

The coverage will be hosted by a ground-breaking team. Half of the presenters and reporters in the Channel 4 line-up will be disabled - including eight new faces drawn from a nationwide talent search.

 

[Jonathan]

NBC aren't broadcasting the Paralympics? I'm genuinely disgusted. Then again, after they didn't show the 7/7 tribute from the Opening Ceremony, I'm not all that surprised. :/

 

[Alastair]

NBC aren't broadcasting the Paralympics? I'm genuinely disgusted. Then again, after they didn't show the 7/7 tribute from the Opening Ceremony, I'm not all that surprised. :/

They also didn't broadcast the 100m final live, which I find extremely strange.

 

[Martin]

Wonderful Ben Cohen nails it again.

TST, shall we have a new topic for Paralympics discussion and commentary, or continue in here?

I'm sure there's already a topic for the Paralympics, Blaze.

He's Sam. I'm Blaze.

 

[Tim]

In theory London's Paralympic games should be one of the best there has been, maybe even game changing. It was us who held the first Paralympic event as a chance to honour war veterans. To this day we are a country which likes seeing an underdog succeed and if ticket sales are anything to go by it already sounds like the event is going to be just as busy as the main Olympics. It also helps that the Olympics was far more successfully than many of us actually believed it would be. For those people that missed out the chance to watch the Olympics the Paralympic events are the second opportunity for them to say "I was there".

Put it simply: I have high hopes for this Paralympics.

Edit:
I do find it a shame though that the BBC won't be covering it. Not because Channel 4 will do a bad job (although I've always preferred the BBC's reporting style) but because I think it makes the games feel less important when our main broadcasters won't be showing it (although I'm sure they'll still be doing news highlights).

 

[Islander]

Interestingly, this is the first Olympiad where both Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have been organised by the same host organising committee, in this case LOCOG. Normally you'd have a separate organising committee for the Paralympics, e.g. something along the lines of LOCPG.

I definitely think it's a step in the right direction, and I agree with the few that ultimately it'd be great to have just one set of games. Obviously I'm not talking about having Olympians and Paralympians competing in the same events, but have the different events in the same period. It seems entirely the logical thing to do, because as it is, people are less interested in the Paralympics. America and NBC are the extreme example, but even in the UK where there will be good coverage, interest will still fall a fair whack. It doesn't help that the broadcast rights switch to C4 - that'll no doubt drop a certain number of viewers.

The 'logistics' argument ("The problem with grouping them together in one bunch is that between the Olympics and Paralympics, stadia have to be altered, new sports have to be prepared and other logistical things have to be seen to.") is flawed, as much larger logistical challenges are already addressed in the Olympics. Venues already change overnight: for example, the Basketball Arena reconfigured to host Handball, the O[sub]2[/sub] North Greenwich Arena to host Basketball, and of course the largest of them all, the Stadium transformed into an arena for the Closing Ceremony, in no more than approximately 12.5 hours. Logistics of a massive scale aren't dealt with more effectively than Olympic Games anywhere, so that's definitely not an insurmountable hurdle.

I definitely think that we should aim for the two periods to be combined.

 

[Scott]

Logistically perhaps less so, but it is difficult if venues require specific changes to be made Paralympic ready and therefore could not host the able and disabled versions of events on the same or even consecutive days - as it would seem silly to adjust things every single night. I don't really know the ins and outs of what changes have to be made and how easy it would be, but your point about the Olympic Stadium being transformed quickly is true (although with the opening they have a whole week for adjustments to be made).

I just don't think the events should be combined because I wouldn't want to see Paralympians ignored. Yes, coverage would be at the same time and yes events would play out side-by-side but I would just be worried that doing so would actually be less intuitive for equality and fairness than the current way of doing things. The Paralympic Games (as I have said further up) give disabled athletes two weeks to shine when they wouldn't normally get a chance to. I don't think combining the two Games would make any difference - why would NBC (for example) show any then if they don't want to show any now?

 

[Sam]

I definitely think that we should aim for the two periods to be combined.

Yes, but only if that's what the majority of Paralympians want. If they want them to be combined, we should work towards that after Rio, but they may want to keep their own separate event which has a strong independent history. It should be up to them, not us, or the IOC.

 

[Islander]

Logistically perhaps less so, but it is difficult if venues require specific changes to be made Paralympic ready and therefore could not host the able and disabled versions of events on the same or even consecutive days - as it would seem silly to adjust things every single night.

Careful scheduling and venue design would mitigate that to a large extent though. You are right, it would be difficult, but but by no means impossible or impractical.

(although with the opening they have a whole week for adjustments to be made).

True, but from what I gather the stadium was actually converted fairly sharpish. I know they started work that same night.

I just don't think the events should be combined because I wouldn't want to see Paralympians ignored. Yes, coverage would be at the same time and yes events would play out side-by-side but I would just be worried that doing so would actually be less intuitive for equality and fairness than the current way of doing things. The Paralympic Games (as I have said further up) give disabled athletes two weeks to shine when they wouldn't normally get a chance to. I don't think combining the two Games would make any difference - why would NBC (for example) show any then if they don't want to show any now?

Interestingly the reason I think they should be combined is the same you think they shouldn't - I don't want them ignored!

Look at it this way: who would ever predict that a strange, rarely heard of or talked about game like Handball would ever be popular. Yet when in the Olympics, and broadcast, talked about by the media and generally thrust into the spotlight, suddenly it garners a lot of attention, and people take an interest. The same is true of so many Olympic sports, and so many people have said that they have suddenly developed an interest in things they never thought they would, or had never even heard of! I would hope that the same would happen if Paralympic sports were interspersed within the Olympic sports.

NBC of course is an extreme example, but broadcasters like the BBC would no doubt provide coverage of both, and that too I think would help. People would watch Olympic events, catch glimpses of Paralympic events, and become hooked, much like they do now with the Olympics. I think it would truly build interest in the Paras, not diminish it at all.

Yes, but only if that's what the majority of Paralympians want. If they want them to be combined, we should work towards that after Rio, but they may want to keep their own separate event which has a strong independent history. It should be up to them, not us, or the IOC.

Fair point, and to be honest I've no idea what their stance is . I personally feel that it'd feel a bit second rate to watch the Olympics taking place, and have to wait until that's over and done with before you can participate, but that's entirely my own thoughts, and I've no idea whether that's anything like what Paralympians would feel.