Paralympics 2024

Ezra Frech won Gold in High Jump (and, I think, the 100m)

Like most folks, I suspect, every time the Summer or Winter Olympics came on, I'd see the ads for the Paralympics, and have good intentions and zero follow through.  The only time I remember watching anything was in a bar, but I can't even remember what year that might have been.  

But, coming off the high of the 2024 Olympics, and with no Track and Field to watch,* I figured "hey - more Olympics".  And, "hey, more Olympics" is how the Paralympics is pitched on TV.  And that's not entirely wrong or a bad way to frame it.

Add to that the viral stardom of Olympic track star Tara Davis-Woodhall and her husband, Paralympian runner Hunter Woodhall, and I think people got the poke they needed to remember to tune in. Team USA social media kicked into gear, and Paralympians and Olympians made a lot of noise online about the games (and continue to do so.)  Also, NBC really has made it easy this year to watch if you got Peacock.

So, we watched a good chunk of the Opening Ceremonies, and I watched some Wheelchair Rugby (aka: Murderball).  And then a little other coverage the first night, but we'd been to a play, so it wasn't much.  But I've been trying to watch more.  Especially track and field, because that's how I roll.  But I've watched archery, Blind Soccer, Table Tennis (doubles!), swimming and more.  

The Opening Ceremonies were subdued compared to the bombastic opening of the Olympics, but were lovely, if more traditional in form.  Lots of music, dancing, mascots, marching, pageantry.  Fewer mysterious Joan of Arcs coming down the Seine in a blaze of glory and less Gojira.  More "here is a meaningful dance about being a Paralympian".  

The overall coverage of the summer games for Paralympics 2024 is maybe a format NBC could consider for the Olympics.  It's almost all highlights - so it's all thriller, little filler - and that's better for me as a viewer than NBC's primetime coverage.  For example, I am bored to tears by Olympic diving.  And yet, every Olympics, I have to watch people flip off a board without somehow first saying "Mom!  Mom!  Look!  Look what I can do!"  But the Paralympic coverage on USA is just whipping around.  "Hey!  Check out this crazy table tennis match!  Now, there's blind long-distance jumping!  Now, 200m foot race!  Oh, look, a 4x50 swim relay!"  I mean, it ain't dull.

I don't know if I ever really thought about what the term "adaptive sport" means, but it doesn't mean "we made this easier for people with a disability or limb difference".  It means they have sports adapted to people in certain categories, and it's not an advantage, it's just different.  And some sports are just what they are - like Blind Soccer, which is *incredible*.  Even people with some sight have to wear opaque eye coverings, and then it's like watching two teams made up of Marvel's Daredevil play soccer.  It's insane.  I watched for a full game, and I don't have a clue how any of that worked, because my dudes were passing and shooting, I think by shouting to each other.  Similar, Blind Long Jump.  There's s coach yelling "jump now" at the jumper.  That's a sport which is truly "adapted".   And then there's, like, Sitting Volleyball, that's all sorts of folks playing, but you can't use your legs if you have them.  Or Wheelchair Basketball which is exactly like what it sounds, and those folks can hoop. Especially Bell.

Anyway, you may think "gee, that's nice they let folks do some games after the Olympics", but my feeling is: these athletes are not here for participation trophies or an after-school special.  When I see a gentlemen win an archery tournament shooting with his feet, this is just a different category of game.  I don't blame anyone for having it separate from the Olympics, you aren't having little people playing Badminton against average-sized people.  It would not make sense for someone with CP to race in another context.  But in the adapted form - it makes all the sense in the world.  You can't have the guy with the running blades running next to the guy who doesn't use them because they're different categories. Just as the person with CP running is in a different category.  

What's interesting is that you see folks saying "this is inspirational".  And, it *is* inspiring, but don't be a patronizing dick about it.  This is sport, same as any other, adapting to how people are different.  People work their asses off and run, jump, collide, throw, shoot, ride horses, swim...  

Maybe the weirdest part of Paralympics is the near certainty some hipsters are going to decide to colonize Murderball or wheelchair track races (man are the longer races more fun when they go this fast).  Or (shudder) something like Blind Soccer or Goalball.

If there are two major differences, I'd say: 

• in places like track, these athletes also do a large number of events.  Your high jumper is also your long jumper.  In a way, all the track folks are at least bi-athletes - but I keep hearing people are doing 5-7 events in track and field.  No on is showing up just to run the 100m.
• some of these folks are fighting neurological issues, etc...  And you see athletes who stumble and fall, and it *sucks*.  They won and won to get there. And then some neuron fires or muscle cramps and they're down two meters from finish, and you kind of want to cry with them.  And part of that is that they ARE doing so many events.

Anyway - anecdotally, it seems like more folks are actually watching Paralympics this year.  And NBC/ Peacock have had that good coverage.  I'm sure there's someone smarter than me who can explain it.  But there's a lot left.  Go out there and watch some.  It's on USA and Peacock.

When it comes to Medal Counts, China is destroying everyone.  It's almost funny - like the 1984 Summer Games.  I mean, USA is doing well - we're in third today.  But China has 120 medals, Great Britain 65 and we have 57.  They came to win.

Also, NBC makes host Sophie Morgan work too much, and I'd like to speak to the manager.  Morgan is also a biscuit, and I am not mad she's on my TV.

*apparently there was a meet in Europe somewhere this week, but I don't know what it was other than Tara Davis-Woodhall was there