The XVI (16th) Summer Paralympic Games - Tokyo 2020

[KashmireHawker]

With The Games of the 32nd Olympiad completed, August 24th-September 5th will see the 16th Summer Paralympic Games take place!

No matter the debate that always occurs, which has the question of "why does there have to be a seperate event?!" - I suspect that none of the 139 Team Para GB athletes will mind too much, with them representing there nation!

Unlike the Discovery deal for the Olympics, Channel 4 has full and exclusive rights of the Para's up until after Paris 2024 and will see more than 300 hours be broadcast across C4 and More4.

Around 4,400 competitors are expected in Tokyo and sees Badminton and Taekwondo (which was another excellent event for GB) replace 7-a-Side Football and Sailing.

Finally, seeing that 70% of Channel 4's team are Disabled, illustrates the desire of inclusivity on screen and it ultimately showing that NO One Is Too Disabled, to live and lead an ordinary life!

May these games, again bring to the fore some powerful and just as talented folk across our land!

 

[Techniquest]

I'm certainly looking forward to this paralympics, not watched it before but I'm well excited for it! I do like that the coverage will be available on Channel 4 (and All4, of course) which is most welcome. I'll be able to watch the action on my TV and not just my phone. Which has been great, but it would have been so much better seeing the Olympics on a bigger screen! I'm even tempted to invest in a new TV, nothing wrong with my current one I should say, just so I can watch the action on a bigger TV!

I'm certainly also looking forward to seeing how Team GB do, I've got high hopes for them. This promises to be awesome

 

[Busaholic]

My sister, who has a lung condition requiring an almost constant supply of oxygen, lives on her own and has virtually no visitors, nor can she afford to go out more than about once a month. She adores watching both the Olympics and Paralympics on TV and gets so much enjoyment from the latter in particular, and the back stories that go with it. Good news it's going to be on Channel 4.

 

[KashmireHawker]

It’s just 1 Day To Go until it all begins, as the ParaGB will have a record number of Female athletes, equalling 44% of the team!

Tokyo Paralympics: ParalympicsGB selects a record percentage of female athletes

Great Britain will have its highest-ever percentage of female athletes competing at the Tokyo Paralympics.

www.bbc.co.uk

MEDAL Update:

3 medals in the space of Half Hour this morning on Day 1 - all in the Track Cycling, with Gold and Silver in the Women’s C5 3000 Individual (led by Dame Sarah Storey, for her 4TH straight title) and Silver in the Men’s 4000M Tandem (Tandem is a 2 person bike)!

What an excellent start!

 

[Techniquest]

An excellent start, no question of it, but I don't like Channel 4's presentation of the coverage. By cripes it's done badly

Some top performances this morning by Team GB, although I had to endure watching only highlights. The bit I did get to watch on the livestream (thanks Channel 4 for shutting it off before I got the chance to watch even half of it...) was good track cycling, the RPC rider was incredible and fully deserved that gold medal!

I'm just gutted I can't watch the cycling in full unless I'm up at 3am every day. All4 would be my saviour, but it just replays whatever was on Channel 4. Which would be fine, but the adverts, studio chatting and cutting away to other events ruined the experience on Day 1 for me. It's a shame the livestreams aren't on All4 to watch in full afterwards, I could actually watch the action when I get back from work. No, that's too much common sense for Channel 4...

 

[Loppylugs]

I have total admiration for every athlete competing in these games. To see how they cope with their disabilities is amazing. Swimmers with no arms, cyclists with one leg, boccia contestants, the list goes on. Awesome people.

 

[Red Onion]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tournament so far. I don’t think C4 have been as hot on the presentation as they were with the last two but the diversity of the excellent presenters should hopefully be a step in the right direction for mainstream.

Today had some great moments with Sarah Storey’s phenomenal 17th gold medal (over two different disciplines too) which is some achievement. When you read that she suffered in school from bullying etc, she can proudly show herself to those bullies and even query what they have managed to excel at in life. An incredible achievement and not the only one, just highlighted it as one of today’s.

And Dan Pembroke at the javelin with an incredible 69.52m. Nobody was even close. I’m pretty sure the distance markers end at 70! He used to compete able bodied but degenerative eye condition has unfortunately struck. It’s just great seeing someone continue so well. Having had a damaging eye condition, I can hand on heart say it’s scary and for a bit I just wallowed.

So much inspiration anyone can take from these athletes and they produce some darn fine performances. Long may the paralympics grow!

 

[Techniquest]

Oh indeed, there's some incredible performances out there. The bits I have seen I have been impressed by, certainly inspiring to get out there and get active. Not that I often need much motivation to do that personally, I love my cardio

That javelin throw, as you say, was amazing fair play to him that deserved a gold!

No question of it, my first paralympics watching has been good when I've been able to see it. I'll be honest, I wasn't into it as much as the Olympics, but that I put down to being able to watch in full what I wanted to watch, without ad breaks, without cutting away to other events and so on. I wasn't impressed by Channel 4's presentation whatsoever!