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2004 Paralympic Games
By: Adaptive Sports and Recreation Back in August, much of the world was focused on Athens, Greece, site of the 2004 Summer Olympics. The excitement of that event had just begun to die down when the city welcomed more athletes for another set of Summer Games: the 12th Paralympics for disabled athletes. The Paralympic Games (not to be confused with the Special Olympic World Games), took place Sept. 17-28, with athletes competing in 19 sports. They began with an opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, where nearly 4000 athletes from a record 136 countries paraded. Costis Stephanopoulos, President of the Greek Republic, declared the opening of the Games, and addresses were given by the President of the International Paralympic Committee and the President of Athens 2004. Competition began Sept. 18 with eight sports in eight venues around Athens, and it didn't take long for records to start falling. In track cycling, Britain's Aileen McGlynn and Helen Hunter captured the first gold medal of the Games, setting a new world and Paralympic record in the womens tandem 1 kilometer time trial, with a time of 1:11:160. Karissa Whitsell and Katie Compton of the U.S. won the silver. The U.S. womens wheelchair basketball team followed the example of their Olympic counterparts, taking the Gold Medal on the next-to-last day of competition with a 56-44 win over Austrailia. It was the first gold medal for the U.S. women since the 1988 Seoul Paralympics. Jennifer Warkins led the way with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and six steals, while Christina Ripp had 16 points and seven boards. On the last day, finals were held in three sports: five-a-side football, mens wheelchair basketball, and boccia, where players throw colored leather balls as close as they can to a white target ball. Brazil won the gold in football, Canada captured the gold in mens basketball, while Spain and Portugal won six and five golds, respectively, in the boccia mixed pair, mixed team, and mixed individual events. The Games were not without tragedy. Because of a road accident that claimed the lives of seven schoolchildren traveling to Athens, the Paralympics wrapped up with a modest closing ceremony at Olympic Stadium, featuring a moment of silence. China had the most gold medals with 63, followed by Great Britain with 35, Canada, 28, and the U.S. had 27. Over 135 world and Paralympic records were broken during the 11 days of competition. Like the Olympics, only the best from around the world have the privilege of competing in the Paralympics, and must go through an intense training program. The only difference: these athletes have a functional disability which prevents them from taking part in the Olympic Games. Athletes are categorized into different classifications according to the level and type of disability, to ensure fairness. the same spirit that makes the Olympics a great worldwide tradition was felt in the Paralympics. Disabilities and cultures took a back seat to determination and outstanding athletic achievement. Though the Paralympic flame was extinguished at the closing ceremony, its glow will live in the hearts of those who were a part of the event. In four years, when the Games come to Beijing, the spark will once again be rekindled. For a complete rundown of results and sport descriptions, visit http://www.athens2004.com/en/ Stephen Michael Kerr is the publisher of Adaptive Sports & Recreation, a free bi-weekly ezine devoted to sports for people with disabilities. To check out previous issues, visit: http://archives.zinester.com/41809 Or, visit his official website: http://www.adaptivesports.afreepress.com
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