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Paralympic Athletes Accuse U.S.O.C. of Inequity
The Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team U.S.A. uniform with pride. He will compete for his country’s Olympic program. He is also suing it for discrimination.
The United States is no stranger to disputes over discrimination against various groups and the provision of benefits for citizens, as the battle over universal health insurance indicates. But in this case the Paralympians are emphasizing their needs as athletes as much as their needs as citizens. They claim that races have been lost and medals squandered by their having to compete against athletes from nations such as Canada and Britain that support their disabled athletes virtually equally to Olympians.
In hearing the lawsuit brought by Iniguez and two retired wheelchair racers, the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals have ruled that the U.S.O.C. has the legal discretion to fund able-bodied and disabled athletes at different rates. (The case has been appealed to the Supreme Court.) But even the District Court judge who ruled against Iniguez in 2006 wrote: “Do I decry a culture that relegates Paralympians to second class status in the quantity and quality of benefits and support they receive from the U.S.O.C.? Emphatically yes.”
The U.S.O.C. says that equitable support to Paralympic athletes is unrealistic because the agency receives almost no government assistance, and Paralympic success does not generate enough increased revenue.
The U.S.O.C. says that equitable support to Paralympic athletes is unrealistic because the agency receives almost no government assistance, and Paralympic success does not generate enough increased revenue.
The most striking difference between the funding of Paralympic and Olympic athletes, some contend, is in the cash bonuses given for top performances. Olympic gold medalists in Beijing received $25,000 from the U.S.O.C. and often additional money from their national governing body; Paralympic gold medalists will get $5,000 from the U.S.O.C. alone. For 2007 competitions, the U.S.O.C. distributed $1.85 million in performance bonuses, none of it to Paralympic athletes, the U.S.O.C.’s Seibel confirmed. The Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team U.S.A. uniform with pride. He will ... more -
The great Olympian sex festival
So there's been talk for years about what goes on inside the Olympic village each and every four years. "Is it really the sex-fest it is cracked up to be?" people seem to wonder, well now we've got the inside info from an ex Olympian. Yes is the answer to that question, the Olympics for this guy was "as much about sex as it was about sport".
"I am not implying, for one moment, that every athlete in Beijing is at it. Just that 99 per cent of them are. "
Jonathan Edwards attempts to quell the sexual escapades of the British swimmers in Sydney seems to have done nothing to dampen their spirits. So there's been talk for years about what goes on inside the Olympic village each and every four years. "Is it really the se... more -
the professor and the beast
my current obsession is watchin Dalhausser play
meow
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(AssociatedPress) The top-ranked U.S. men's beach volleyball team of Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser hope to cap a successful summer with a gold medal in Beijing. my current obsession is watchin Dalhausser play meow - ... more -
German sprinter calls Bolt a drug cheat
German sprinter Tobias Unger called the Olympic 100m men’s final a “farce” and cast doubt on the legitimacy of superstar Usain Bolt’s win.
Unger: “Bolt didn’t even warm up for the semi final. He showed up in shorts and jogging shoes, did his pickups and practice starts, put on his spikes and then ran the 100m in 9.92 seconds.
“Bolt ran a time of 9.8 seconds in May and again at the end of September. He showed no tiredness during training,” an annoyed Unger added.
“They do whatever they want on their island. Nothing happens to them. I’m the only one here at the Olympics who is registering with the doping controllers.”
Bolt apparently didn’t even know how to fill out the doping forms. The American sprinters’ coaches actually laughed when they heard about German doping controls.
Unger, who was cut in the semi-finals, threatened to quit: “I just don’t have the desire anymore.”
Racism? Valid suspicion? Sore loser? German sprinter Tobias Unger called the Olympic 100m men’s final a “farce” and cast doubt on the legitimacy of superstar Usain Bolt’s ... more -
Beijing silver medallist fails drugs test
Lyudmila Blonska, the Ukrainian athlete who won silver in the women's heptathlon, is facing disciplinary action after failing a drugs test.
It is understood Blonska, who has already previously served a two-year ban for drugs, tested positive for an anabolic steroid. Lyudmila Blonska, the Ukrainian athlete who won silver in the women's heptathlon, is facing disciplinary action after failing a d... more -
Olympic weightlifters bug-eyed in Beijing
Biting lips and scary stares are just some of the heavy looks weightlifters have given the cameras at this year's Olympic Games in Beijing.
One of the crowd favourites has been XXXL lifter Jan Mi-Ran of South Korea, who won a gold medal in the over 75kg class and broke the world record in the process with a lift of 326 kilos.
Check out the fiercest faces of this year's Olympic heavyweights in the photo gallery. Biting lips and scary stares are just some of the heavy looks weightlifters have given the cameras at this year's Olympic Games i... more -
Victory parade for British Olympic heroes
A heroes parade through London on October 16, is being planned by London Mayor Boris Johnson, the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association have confirmed.
Team GB have now won 13 golds - and more may come.
Mr Johnson said: "Just over half way through the Beijing Games and Team GB has put in one of its best ever performances.
"In September our Paralympians will I hope return from Beijing having achieved similar success. So to reflect the excitement and pride of the country in our athletes' superb victories we've set a date in the diary now when we can cheer all our heroes and honour their extraordinary feats at this summer's Games.
I'm all for a celebration of success but do we need a parade after every sporting achievement? Oh and why does is always have to be in London? A heroes parade through London on October 16, is being planned by London Mayor Boris Johnson, the British Olympic Association (BOA) an... more -
The mystery of the honey-toting gymnasts
What is that honey bottle gymnasts pass around before an event? The answer will surpise you...
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China confiscates Bibles from American Christians
Chinese customs officials confiscated more than 300 Bibles on Sunday from four American Christians who arrived in a southwestern city with plans to distribute them, the group's leader said.
"I heard that there's freedom of religion in China, so why is there a problem for us to bring Bibles?" Klein said. "We had over 300 copies and customs took all of them from us."
The move comes as China hosts the Olympics in Beijing, where false media reports last year claimed Bibles would be banned from the games. The state-run China Daily reported last month that 10,000 bilingual copies of the Bible would be distributed in the Olympic Village, which houses athletes and media. Chinese customs officials confiscated more than 300 Bibles on Sunday from four American Christians who arrived in a southwestern city ... more -
41-year-old American Wins Olympic Silver in Swimming
Dara Torres lost an improbable gold medal Sunday morning by one-hundredth of a second — the same margin that kept Michael Phelps on course to break Mark Spitz’s record.
The 41-year-old Torres, a five-time Olympian and the oldest American swimmer ever, settled for two more silver medals on the final day of swimming at the Water Cube.
Go 40s! Dara Torres lost an improbable gold medal Sunday morning by one-hundredth of a second — the same margin that kept Michael Phelps on co... more -
Man With No Limbs Beats Able Bodied Swimmers
In last Sunday's Pittsburgh Triathlon, there were a lot of individual competitors and teams with competitors for each event.
One team, however, stood out.
That team contained three friends: Jim on the Bike, Ned doing the running, and Craig Dietz doing the swimming.
However, Dietz was born with no arms or legs.
"It felt great when I first decided to do it," said Dietz. "I was a little unsure and even leading up to it I was a little unsure. You can swim 100 miles in the pool and it's not going to prepare you for swimming in that river."
This is hardly his first athletic endeavor, Dietz enjoys bowling and has played volleyball too.
He skis in the winter and, with the help of an inventive father, he's been fishing and hunting since he was a kid.
"Anytime I wanted to do anything, he figured out a way for me to do it," said Dietz.
Dietz loves athletics and to him not even the Allegheny River is intimidating.
"All of my weight is centered, I am extremely buoyant. I can't dive. I wish that I could. I'd like to dive under the water," said Dietz.
In the end, he finished 275th out of 308 participants. In last Sunday's Pittsburgh Triathlon, there were a lot of individual competitors and teams with competitors for each event. ... more -
Athletes feel the pressure
It's easy to scoff when athletes blame a poor performance on too many distractions. But there really are a lot of them.
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Scandal of the Ages: Documents Reveal Underage Chinese Gymnast
You know, there is a lot of tension in the world right now and this may seem insignificant. But we have to look at what is going on in Beijing and really pay attention.
What we should be paying attention to is the athleticism of the worlds greatest athletes. Instead we are seeing an ominous totalitarian capitalistic society showing the world that nothing means more to them than "looking good."
It seems trite doesn't it? But China with all of its bellicose blatherings, redundant rebukes, and the obvious need to keep their population under control in every way, there is one thing that is most important it seems.
China wants to win. They want to show the world that the 'New China' is superior in every way.
It's not a mystery that female gymnasts are at their best in their teens and pre-teens. It is really not my place to say how old a child should be to compete in the Olympics. Perhaps this is an Olympic sport for youngsters...
But just the fact that we are being shown obvious physical proof right before our very eyes in High Definition that there are children flying around the uneven paralell bars and then being told that they are not children is just insulting.
Look at that picture!
China is a country seems desperate to project a glamorous, superior, PERFECT image to the world. But the only thing I see is an intense and soul crushing pride which only amplifies the whispers of discontent we are ordered to ignore.
The pity of it all is. They don't need a false facade. They are a great country and a great people. They have a long and intense history and have suffered many hardships as a nation to get where they are now.
They just don't need to do this. You know, there is a lot of tension in the world right now and this may seem insignificant. But we have to look at what is going on in... more -
Olympic rower banned, for forgetting race time
Picture this, you've worked all your life to become an Olympic athlete, trained to the limit and not only are you there, but the games you are competing in are being held in your home country.
Now imagine forgetting the time of your event and subsequently been banned from all other races.
Unfortunately for China's rower, Zhang Liang, this isn't all a dream but a rather unlucky mishap that has forced him to forfeit any more of his races.
"I wrongly remembered my time as that of the third group, but actually it was the second group," Zhang explained. Picture this, you've worked all your life to become an Olympic athlete, trained to the limit and not only are you there, but the ... more -
Olympic villagers get 100,000 condoms
Sex might be the unofficial sport at the Olympics. It's at least a popular pastime. China's Reproductive Health Industry Association distributed 100,000 condoms to athletes as part of a bid by UNAIDS to encourage HIV protection. With 10,500 athletes living in the village for a couple weeks, that's about 9 condoms each. 18 if they choose to do it to another athlete. Free condoms have been offered to athletes at Olympic events since 1992.
I appreciate efforts to encourage safe sex to athletes during the Olympics... but how about to everyone all the time? Maybe condoms should be distributed free at airports, train stations, post offices... Sex might be the unofficial sport at the Olympics. It's at least a popular pastime. China's Reproductive Health Industry Ass... more -
Arabs hope for Olympic breakthrough
Despite less than mediocre performances during past Olympic games, Arab athletes and coaches say they are hoping to make their best showing yet in Beijing.
In nearly 100 years of Olympic competition, the combined tally of medals won by all Arab countries is 73.
At 22 countries, the Arab nations constitute almost 11 per cent of the total number of participating nations (204). However, the average number of medals won - 3.48 medals every four years - has been uninspiring.
In the last Olympic games in Athens, for example, Arab countries won only 10 of the 929 medals available - a little over one per cent.
Shouaa Ghada, a Syrian heptathlete who won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta games, told Al Jazeera Sports that she is hopeful that Arabs will be among the medallists this year.
"Algeria is heading in the right path [in terms of preparation]," she said, adding that she expected Sudanese runner Abubaker Kaki to bring a medal home.
Kaki, who became the youngest world indoor winner of the 800-metre final in March 2008, hopes to secure Sudan's first gold medal.
On June 6, 2008 he set a new World Junior record at the Bislett Games Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway, finishing in 1:42.69.
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by Nassir Yousef al-Jaber in Doha// Al Jazeera English Despite less than mediocre performances during past Olympic games, Arab athletes and coaches say they are hoping to make their best sh... more -
NBC going after Olympic broadcasts on the internet
The United States is seeing the Olympics in Time Delay which has Americans dashing to thier computers.
NBC wants to stop it.
Should Americans have a choice on when and how they want to watch the Olympics? The United States is seeing the Olympics in Time Delay which has Americans dashing to thier computers. NBC wants to stop it. ... more -
Why is Olympic Beach Volleyball So Popular On TV?
Beach Volleyball has a Love/Hate Relationship with TV Stardom.
Why does this "highly photogenic" sport have a problem with thier popularity? Beach Volleyball has a Love/Hate Relationship with TV Stardom. ... more -
Top 5 Toughest Summer Olympic Events
Which Olympic events in this year's summer Olympics in Beijing, China are the Toughest to Win a Gold Medal for Your Country.
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Cyclist wins first gold metal for Britain
Nicole Cooke is the first British athlete at the 2008 summer games to win a medal. Cyclists made 126km road race through treacherous conditions. She beat her competitors by half a wheel at the finish line. Not a bad way to start Britain's collection of medals! Nicole Cooke is the first British athlete at the 2008 summer games to win a medal. Cyclists made 126km road race through treacherous c... more
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