OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE PARALYMPIC MOVEMENT ISSUE NO. 3 | 20122012/2013 / 2013 www.paralympic.org London’s Legacy Inspiring a generation RZ_Paralympian_03_2012_title.indd 1 14.12.12 06:00 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE “It was a tremendous 12 days – we are still soaring high. 20 goals But now that we’ve had time to come back to earth, the real were scored by Russia at the IPC Ice Sledge work begins of carrying on that momentum.” Hockey B Pool World Championships The London 2012 Paralympic Games were special The lead article of this issue of The Paralympian ex- in many ways. Great Britain as a nation came alive plores the fi rst beginnings of this legacy and how with the buzz of the Games, and the performances the Paralympic Movement is trying to maximise this. of the athletes inspired and excited the world. We also look back at the amazing 12 days of sport- It was a tremendous 12 days – we are still soaring ing action in London through the athletes’ eyes and high. showcase some of the most powerful images to come out of the Games. But now that we’ve had time to come back to earth, the real work begins of carrying on that momentum. The NPC profi le looks at Namibia, which along- side Fiji won its fi rst ever Olympic or Paralympic It is really too early to speak about a legacy, but the gold medal. fi rst signs are already there. Some of the research produced by LOCOG post Games has highlighted It is also a chance to look ahead to the coming win- some seismic shifts in attitudes and perceptions, ter season which heralds a new arrival in snow- as well as greater awareness of the Agitos, the Par- boarding . alympic symbol. I hope you enjoy the issue. During my Closing Ceremony speech I told the story of fi ve year old George Glen who, when reading a Happy New Year! book entitled “Treasure”, thought the man pictured with an eye patch, a hook for a hand, a parrot on his shoulder and a wooden leg was an athlete as op- posed to a pirate. Sir Philip Craven, MBE Since then we have been inundated with stories IPC President about children who now excitedly play “Paralympi- ans” with dolls with missing arms, which might pre- viously have been discarded as “broken”. Thanks to the Games, a generation has not just been inspired, but changed. Brazil’s Yohansson Nascimento celebrated winning gold in the 200m T46 in London by proposing to his girlfriend on TV shortly afterwards. After starting up a team just two years ago, Russia won gold at the 2012 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey B Pool World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, in November CONTENT ISSUE NO. 3 | 2012 Enjoy this edition of “The Paralympian” – the offi cial www.paralympic.org award-winning magazine of the Paralympic Movement! 5500 LONDON’S LEGACY 06 4400 FUTURE GAMES 48 The London 2012 Paralympics were an incredible success, but now Find out the latest on Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 it is time to look at how people are building a legacy SPORT PROFILE 50 SPORT REVIEW 13 A look at snowboarding, the newest addition to the winter Paralym- A roundup of all 20 Paralympic sports at London 2012 including pic programme medals tables, personal athlete accounts and stunning images ATHLETE PROFILE 52 NPC PROFILE 40 Russia’s Mikhalina Lysova discusses her ambitions for the 2013 A look at NPC Namibia and Johanna Benson who won her country’s IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships and Sochi 2014 Games fi rst ever Olympic or Paralympic gold in London SPORT PREVIEW 54 EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT 42 World Championships for alpine skiing, nordic skiing, wheelchair The launch of the Agitos Foundation, IPC Academy Games Expe- curling as well as athlete of the month rience Programme and Inclusion Summit all took place during the Games PARALYMPIC MOVEMENT 56 PARTNERS & PATRONS 44 A fi nger on the pulse of the Paralympic Movement around the world Samsung Paralympic Bloggers, Visa Hall of Fame, the Ottobock ATHLETES’ COUNCIL AND repair workshop and Passion for Paralympics exhibition LAUREUS AWARDS 58 MEDICAL & SCIENCE 46 Find out who got elected to the IPC Athletes’ Council and who has been nominated for the Laureus Awards Is technology at the Paralympics performance enhancing or is it essential for an athlete’s performance? 1133 0066 www.twitter.com/paralympic www.facebook.com/ParalympicGames www.youtube.com/ParalympicSportTV www.google.com/+paralympics 06 LONDON’S LEGACY LONDON’S LEGACY 07 London’s Legacy There are exciting signs that London 2012 did not just create a bubble, but that its legacy may be a lasting one Brazil’s Tito Sena (second from left) won the men’s marathon T46 at London 2012 8 LONDON’S LEGACY LONDON’S LEGACY 9 “It has made people realise that athletes London 2012 inspires are athletes and people are people.” Great Britain lost the men’s sitting volleyball a generation 7-8 classifi cation match against Brazil he Paralympic Movement will never Seventy-fi ve of the 164 nations competing Accessible venues like the Aquatics Cen- be the same again, thanks to the took home at least one medal. tre and Velodrome will provide world-class London 2012 Paralympic Games. facilities for athletes with an impairment to Those in the Olympic Stadium on 6 Septem- train and compete. TWith a record number of spectators, broad- ber will never forget what it was like to be a casters, athletes and countries taking part, part of the 80,000 capacity crowd, chanting “We began our work straight after the Games IPC President Sir Philip Craven hailed London Jonnie Peacock’s name before he raced to to transform the venues, parks and facilities 2012 “the greatest Paralympic Games ever,” gold in the 100m T44. in the Olympic Park to ensure generations as they truly changed the perception of peo- to come will benefi t from a golden summer,” ple with an impairment. “Give me enough Red Bull and I will sit there LOCOG Chairman Seb Coe said. and take photos with every single person who For 12 days, 4,237 athletes from 164 coun- came through the doors today,” Peacock said Media success tries took the world by storm with their per- following his victory, humbled at what he had formances, and the British public started to done for Paralympic sport. look at them for their abilities, rather than As well as a sporting legacy, media interest in their disabilities. the Games played a decisive role in changing Sporting legacy attitudes and sparking interest in para-sport. Great Britain changed. The focus shifted to what people can do, overshadowing whatever The incredible performances of ath- Nearly two million people visited www.para- it is they cannot. letes have fuelled grassroots interest in lympic.org – which broadcast more than 780 clubs across Britain. The British Para- hours of live sport – and the Games made For the fi rst time in Paralympic Games lympic Association’s para-sport website the front page of every national newspaper history, the legacy left was sport. (www.parasport.org.uk), which is designed in Great Britain, as many publications made to inspire people with an impairment to fi nd special wrap-around covers on a daily basis. Great Britain’s sitting volleyball player Charlie sporting opportunities, saw a 115 per cent Brazil’s Terezinha Walker summed up the eff ect of the Games increase of visitors during the Games. In ad- The Mirror, the third biggest selling newspa- Guilhermina gets off to a winning start in perfectly. dition, more than 1,000 people attended the per in the UK, stated: “The Olympics were 100m T11 organisation’s Sport Fest, a two-day event to glorious, and the Paralympics even better.” “It has made people realise that athletes are showcase para-sport. athletes and people are people,” Walker said. A record 2.72 million tickets were sold for the With interest peaking, several countries Games, and British host broadcaster Chan- “It doesn’t matter if you’re Usain Bolt or in introduced talent identifi cation days to con- nel 4 showcased them at unprecedented lev- a wheelchair, we’re all people. And every- duct a search for the next batch of Paralym- els to viewers who had never received large Japan’s Shingo one just wants to talk about the sport now, pic stars. More than 400 people turned up exposure to Paralympic sport before. Kuneida celebrates his men’s singles so that’s good.” for Paralympics Ireland’s event, where 20 gold talented individuals were identifi ed for a fast- “As a commercial broadcaster, it was a win track training programme. for us. It brought record viewing fi gures,” Because of the sport Channel 4 Paralympic project leader Deborah “It was clear that the extensive London 2012 Poulton said. Great Britain’s Brazil’s Daniel Dias won Sixty-four years after the fi rst sparks of the coverage had inspired many new athletes with Sarah Storey six golds in the pool won four golds in Paralympic spirit were created at Stoke Man- disabilities to seek an opportunity to bring “It worked. And there’s no reason it shouldn’t cycling deville, just outside of London, Great Brit- their talents to the next level,” said Liam work in Brazil for the Rio 2016 Games and ain again proved itself a trailblazer in sport. Harbison, CEO of Paralympics Ireland. onwards from there. For the third consecutive Games, China In London, the start of the handover of the “There’s no reason why we can’t keep the topped the medals table with 231 medals, Olympic Park was marked by the London stories alive of athletes like Ellie Simmonds including 95 golds.