2012 Summer Paralympics

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XIV Paralympic Games
London Paralympics 2012.svg
Host city London, England, United Kingdom
Motto Inspire a Generation
Nations participating 164[1]
Athletes participating 4,302[1]
Events 503 in 20 sports[citation needed]
Opening ceremony 29 August
Closing ceremony 9 September
Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II[2]
Paralympic Torch Margaret Maughan
Paralympic Stadium London Olympic Stadium
Summer:
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The 2012 Summer Paralympics, the fourteenth Summer Paralympic Games, and also more generally known as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, was a major international multi-sport event for the disabled governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), that took place in London, UK, from 29 August to 9 September. These Paralympics were one of the largest multi-sport events ever to held in the United Kingdom after the 2012 Summer Olympics, and were the largest Paralympics ever: 4,302 athletes from 164 National Paralympic Committees participated.

The games marked the return of the Paralympic movement to its spiritual birthplace: the British village of Stoke Mandeville first hosted an athletics event for disabled British veterans of the Second World War to coincide with the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, they were the first-ever organised sporting event for disabled athletes, and served as a precursor to the modern Paralympic Games.[3][4] Stoke Mandeville also co-hosted the 1984 Summer Paralympics with Long Island, New York, after its original host, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, pulled out due to financial issues.[5]

Organisers expected the Games to be the first Paralympics to achieve mass-market appeal, fuelled by continued enthusiasm from the British public following the country's successful performance at the Summer Olympics, awareness of the United Kingdom's role in the history of the Paralympics, and growing media coverage of Paralympic sport. The games ultimately met these expectations, breaking records for ticket sales, heightening the profile of the Paralympics in relation to the Olympics, and prompting IPC president Philip Craven to declare them the "greatest Paralympic Games ever."[3][6]

Contents

Bidding process [edit]

Main article: Bids for the 2012 Summer Olympics

As part of a formal agreement between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee established in 2001, the winner of the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics was also to host the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[7] At the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, the rights to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were awarded to London.[8][9]

2012 Summer Olympics bidding results
City NOC Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
London  Great Britain 22 27 39 54
Paris  France 21 25 33 50
Madrid  Spain 20 32 31 —
New York City  United States 19 16 — —
Moscow  Russia 15 — — —

Development and preparation [edit]

Main article: 2012 Summer Olympic development

As with the Olympics, the 2012 Summer Paralympics were overseen by LOCOG and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). LOCOG was responsible for overseeing the staging of the games, while the ODA dealt with infastructure and venues.

The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) was the lead Government body for co-ordinating the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The GOE reported through the DCMS Permanent Secretary to the Minister for Sports and the Olympics Hugh Robertson. It focused on oversight of the Games, cross-programme management and the London 2012 Olympic Legacy.

Venues and infrastructure [edit]

The Brands Hatch circuit hosted road cycling during the Paralympics.
Further information: Venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics

The 2012 Summer Paralympics used many of the same venues as the 2012 Summer Olympics, along with several new locations such as Eton Manor for wheelchair tennis and Brands Hatch for road cycling.[10] London's purpose-built Olympic venues and facilities, including the Olympic Village itself, were designed to be accessible as possible so they could easily accommodate the Paralympics. Some venues also contained additional accessible seating areas during the Paralympics.[10][11]

Public transport [edit]

See also: 2012 Summer Olympics#Public transport

Transport for London operated the Paralympic Route Network (a downsized version of the Olympic Route Network operated during the Summer Olympics) to facilitate road traffic between venues and facilities. The network provided 8.7 miles (14.0 kilometres) of lanes specifically reserved for Paralympic athletes and officials.[12]

Sevenoaks railway station was designated as the preferred station for spectators travelling to watch the cycling at Brands Hatch. Organisers chose Sevenoaks over the closer Swanley railway station because of its "existing step-free access and excellent transport links", and because Swanley did not yet have a wheelchair lift. Whilst organisers did not believe that Swanley would be able to have wheelchair lifts installed by the start of the Paralympics, the station finished their installation by early August 2012.[13]

TfL continued to operate its Get Ahead of the Games website during the Paralympics, which provided updates and advice for commuters during the Games.[14] Prior to the Games, concerns were raised by TfL commissioner Peter Hendy that London's transportation system might not be able to handle the Paralympics adequately. He feared that the end of the school summer holiday (which falls during the Paralympics) would result in increased traffic, and that commuters might not heed traffic warnings or change their travel behaviour as they had during the Olympics.[15]

Financing [edit]

Further information: 2012 Summer Olympics#Financing
[icon] This section requires expansion. (September 2012)

Test events [edit]

Main article: London Prepares series

Several Paralympics-specific events were held during the London Prepares series of test events; these included the London International Goalball Tournament, and the London Disability Grand Prix (the first Paralympic sport to be held at the new Olympic Stadium).[16][17]

Lead-up and promotion [edit]

A digital clock in Trafalgar Square, counting down to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Handover ceremony [edit]

The formal handover occurred during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, when Mayor of London Boris Johnson received the Paralympic Flag from Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong. This was followed by a cultural presentation by Britain, which was similar to its presentation during the Olympics' closing ceremony. It featured urban dance group ZooNation, the Royal Ballet, and Candoco, a physically integrated dance group, all dressed as London commuters and waiting for a bus by a zebra crossing. A double-decker bus drove around the stadium, guided by Ade Adepitan, to music composed by Philip Sheppard. The top of the bus was open and folded down to show a privet hedge featuring London landmarks such as Tower Bridge, The Gherkin and the London Eye. Cherisse Osei, drummer for Mika, and Sam Hegedus then performed, before the top of the bus folded up into its original form, sporting multi-coloured Paralympic livery.[18] Both the Paralympic and Olympic flags were formally raised outside of London's City Hall on 26 September 2008. British Paralympians Helene Raynsford and Chris Holmes raised the Paralympic flag.[19][20]

Paralympic Day and Super Saturday [edit]

2012 Summer Paralympic Medal, temporarily exhibited at British Museum

On 8 September 2011 Trafalgar Square staged International Paralympic Day, hosted by Rick Edwards, Ade Adepitan and Iwan Thomas, to coincide with a visit to London by representatives of the IPC. The event celebrated the Paralympic Games, showcasing and demonstrating the 20 sports that would feature during the Games (with some sessions also made inclusive to people with hearing disabilities). It also featured appearances by Paralympic athletes Oscar Pistorius (of whom a bronze statue by Ben Dearnley was unveiled as well), Ellie Simmonds and Sascha Kindred. British Prime Minister David Cameron and London's mayor Boris Johnson also appeared.[21][22] Two days later on 10 September, supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Channel 4 presented Sainsbury's Super Saturday, a family event at Clapham Common. The event featured showcases of Paralympic sports, and a concert featuring pop music acts including Nicola Roberts, Olly Murs, The Wanted, Will Young, Pixie Lott, Dappy, Sugababes, The Saturdays, Chipmunk and Taio Cruz.[23][24]

Channel 4 television advert [edit]

To promote Channel 4's role as the official television broadcaster of the Games in the UK, Tom Tagholm (with input from the British Paralympic Association's Tim Hollingsworth) directed a two-minute long trailer for its coverage entitled "Meet the Superhumans". The advert aimed to change the public's view of the Paralympics, encouraging viewers to see the Games as an "event in its own right" rather than as an afterthought to the Olympics. Set to Public Enemy's song "Harder Than You Think", the advert focused on the competitive and "superhuman" aspects of Paralympic sport, while acknowledging the personal events and struggles that reflected every athlete's participation in the Games. "Meet the Superhumans" premiered on 17 July 2012, and aired simultaneously as a "roadblock" advert on 78 different commercial television channels in the UK (which included rival channels ITV1 and Sky1).[25][26]

The advert was met with critical acclaim: Adweek's Tim Nudd declared it "the summer's most stunning sports commercial",[25] while Simon Usborne of The Independent felt it was "an act of branding genius" and "a clear bid to bring the Paralympics from the sporting wings to centre stage."[26] The advert was seen by an estimated audience of 10 million viewers; Channel 4's marketing and communications chief Dan Brooke estimated that reaction to the advert through social media was double that of the première of the BBC's trailer for its Olympics coverage.[25][26]

Royal Mail involvement [edit]

See also: 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom

In August 2009 Royal Mail unveiled a series of 30 stamps (reflecting the 30th Olympiad) about the coming Olympic and Paralympic Games. They were released in batches of ten between 2009 and July 2011; each stamp featured an Olympic or Paralympic sport and the London 2012 logo.[27][28][29]

Royal Mail honoured Britain's Paralympic gold medallists by painting gold a post box in each of their home towns, and also feature them on commemorative stamps released throughout the Games—as it had done during the Olympics.[30] It originally planned only to release a series of six stamps with group portraits. However, critics felt that Royal Mail would be discriminating against Paralympians by not granting them the same individual recognition as their Olympian counterparts.[30] Olympic shadow minister Tessa Jowell was also critical of Royal Mail's plan, saying that the stamps were a symbolic aspect of Britain's celebration of the Olympics and that "it would be a shame if this important symbol was not offered to our Paralympian heroes as well."[31]

Royal Mail initially defended its decision, arguing that it would have been "logistically and practically impossible" to issue individual stamps for each gold medallist, since it expected the British team to meet or exceed its performance at Beijing of 42 gold medals.[30] However, on 15 August 2012 Royal Mail announced that it would now issue individual stamps for each Paralympic gold medallist.[31]

Torch relay [edit]

See also: 2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay
A group of torchbearers in wheelchairs bringing the Paralympic flame through Canary Wharf.

The Paralympic torch relay began on 22 August, when groups of scouts (both disabled and non-disabled) kindled the four Paralympic flames on the highest peaks of each nation of the United Kingdom; Scafell Pike in England, Ben Nevis in Scotland, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, and Snowdon in Wales. The four flames were then brought down from each peak in lanterns. On 24 August the flames were used to light ceremonial cauldrons in their respective capital cities (London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff) during "Flame Festival" events. A total of 38 towns and cities also hosted "Flame Celebration" events over the bank holiday weekend, where community representatives collected a part of their nation's flame to bring back for their respective events.[32][33][34]

On 28 August a ceremony was held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium where the four national flames were united in a cauldron at precisely 8:12 pm (20:12) to form a single flame for the relay. The four flames were brought into the stadium by dignitaries, including English model Katie Piper (who began to campaign for burns victims after having acid thrown in her face in 2009)[35] and Scottish amateur boxer Jonjo Look (who had a leg amputated and replaced by a prosthesis following an accident filling a gas canister).[36][37]

The flame travelled a 92-mile (148-kilometre) route to the Olympic Stadium in a 24-hour relay, with 580 torchbearers working in teams of five. It travelled through iconic areas of London such as Abbey Road and London Zoo.[32] Poor weather caused a two-hour delay on the Wednesday before the Games; parts of the route were modified to help ensure it would reach the stadium in time, while a backup flame was taken straight to the stadium as a contingency.[38] However, as the opening ceremony's parade of nations took longer than expected, the flame was able to arrive at Olympic Stadium in time.[39]

The Paralympic torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, who had designed the Summer Olympic torch. It was intended to have a "modern" and "innovative" look, and was constructed with an aluminium alloy skin that is perforated to help with heat dissipation and grip. The torch also had a reflective finish, allowing it to match its surroundings and provide better visibility at night.[32]

Ticketing [edit]

2.7 million tickets were offered in total, including event-specific tickets and those granting access solely to the Olympic Park, along with multi-event passes offered for ExCeL London and Olympic Park that were intended to allow spectators to discover a variety of Paralympic events.[11][40] Unlike previous Paralympics, tickets were in extremely high demand, and the ticket allocation was increased from the originally planned 2.5 million. Whilst the period during the Olympics has historically been the busiest for Paralympic sales, 1.4 million tickets were already sold before the start of the Summer Olympics, already surpassing the total number sold in Sydney.[41] The high demand resulted in technical issues with the Ticketmaster-operated website, which led to complaints from users (via social media) who were struggling to order.[42]

On 8 August LOCOG announced that 2.1 million tickets had been sold (600,000 in the previous month alone), breaking the record of 1.8 million set in Beijing (1.6 million tickets were also distributed by the Chinese government).[40] IPC president Philip Craven congratulated London for this achievement, crediting it to "the insatiable appetite the public has for top class elite sport", and noted it would be fitting for a Paralympics held in its spiritual birthplace to have filled venues.[41] By the opening ceremony, 2.4 million had been sold, with the remaining 100,000 sold during the Games; 10,000 were offered each day. The last 800 tickets to the Opening Ceremony were distributed to police and the military, while Mayor Boris Johnson arranged for the distribution of 1,100 to members of London's youth athletics clubs.[43] Due to popular demand, a further 100,000 contingency tickets were released on 6 September (which included multi-event passes, and event tickets given up by sponsors and partners), along with 100,000 giving access solely to the Olympic Park.[40]

Organisers expected the first ever sell-out in the history of the Paralympics.[44] LOCOG's chief executive Paul Deighton remarked that "the interest in attending the Paralympics has been extraordinary from the start."[40] This success was attributed to the enthusiasm surrounding Great Britain's performance during the Olympics, fan interest in South African "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius (a Paralympic athlete who was the first ever double amputee to compete in the Olympics), and affordable prices.[40][45]

[edit]

See also: 2012 Summer Olympics#Logo

The 2012 Summer Paralympics used an emblem sharing a common design with that of the Summer Olympics—the first time this had ever been done.[46] The logo, designed by Wolff Olins, was unveiled on 4 June 2007, and is a representation of the number 2012.[47] The Paralympic version has its own distinct colour scheme, and substitutes the Olympic Rings with the Paralympic "agitos".[48]

The Paralympics logo (far left) and the different official colour combinations of the 2012 Summer Olympics logo.

Mascots [edit]

London's Paralympic and Olympic Mascots, Mandeville (left) and Wenlock (right)
Main article: Wenlock and Mandeville

The official mascot of the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games, Mandeville, was unveiled alongside its Olympic counterpart Wenlock on 19 May 2010. As characters, they are portrayed drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton, and feature singular camera eyes—representing "focus" and the cameras being used to capture the Games. Mandeville is named in honour of Stoke Mandeville Hospital due to its significance in the origins of the Paralympics. Mandeville also wears a helmet emblazoned in the red, green, and blue colours of the Paralympic emblem.[49][50]

Opening ceremony [edit]

The Paralympic cauldron.
Main article: 2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held on 29 August at the Olympic Stadium. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" and themed around the concept of "Enlightenment". It featured appearances by theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, along with actors Ian McKellen and Nicola Miles-Wildin playing the roles of Prospero and Miranda from "The Tempest". The ceremony also featured a performance by British electronic music group Orbital.[39] The leading UK disabled theatre company Graeae played their version of the polio survivor Ian Dury's 1981 protest song 'Spasticus Autisticus'.[51]

The final bearers of the Paralympic flame represented several generations of Paralympic athletes. Joe Townsend, a Royal Marine who lost both of his legs after stepping on a land mine on duty in Afghanistan (who represented the future, as he plans to compete in Rio), delivered the flame to Olympic Stadium via a zipline from the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. He passed the flame to long-time British Five-a-side football captain David Clarke, who then passed it to the lighter of the Paralympic cauldron, Margaret Maughan, who was the winner of Britain's first gold medal at the first Paralympics, in Rome.[39]

Closing ceremony [edit]

Main article: 2012 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony

The closing ceremony was held on 9 September at the Olympic Stadium. It featured a live performance by the British rock band Coldplay set to sequences representing the four seasons, along with performances by Barbadian singer Rihanna (who performed their collaboration "Princess of China", and her solo hit "We Found Love") and American rapper Jay-Z (who performed "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Coldplay, and joined in a reprise of "Paradise"). To mark its hosting of the 2016 Summer Paralympics, the Paralympic flag was passed from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London to Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro.[6] LOCOG chief Sebastian Coe and IPC president Philip Craven both congratulated London for its successful hosting of the Paralympics; Coe was proud that both the Olympics and Paralympics in London could be labelled "Made in Britain", while Sir Phillip felt that the Games were the "greatest Paralympic Games ever."[6] Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock shared the honour of extinguishing the Paralympic cauldron, sharing its last flame on torches to others throughout the stadium to represent its eternal spirit.[6][52]

The Games [edit]

Participating nations [edit]

London 2012 had the largest number of athletes and participating nations of any Paralympic Games.[53] A total of 4,302 athletes competed in the Games, an increase of 291 from the 2008 Games. They represented 164 countries, 18 more than in Beijing.

Fourteen countries made their Paralympic début: Antigua and Barbuda, Brunei, Cameroon, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, North Korea, San Marino, the Solomon Islands and the US Virgin Islands.[53] Trinidad and Tobago returned to the Games for the first time since 1988.[54][55]

Andorra made its début in the Summer Paralympics, having already made three appearances at the Winter Paralympics.[56] Malawi, which would have been making its debut at the Games, and Botswana, were both due to send delegations but withdrew hours before the opening ceremony citing a lack of government funds.[57]

The following National Paralympic Committees sent delegations to compete:[1]

Participating National Paralympic Committees (number of athletes)

Sports [edit]

Events in twenty different sports were contested.[3]

Events for athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) returned to the Paralympics in athletics, swimming table tennis for the first time since 2000.[58][59] ID events had been suspended following the 2000 Summer Paralympics, after the Spanish basketball team was stripped of their gold medals when it was found that only 2 of their 12 team members actually suffered from intellectual disability. The IPC would impose higher scrutiny on intellectually disabled athletes in London, and also implemented a new testing procedure to better determine eligibility.[60]

Also beginning in 2012, sighted guides became eligible to receive medals in certain events; sighted goalkeepers in 5-a-side football, along with guides and pilots in athletics and cycling were now able to receive medals for their contributions. Previously in the case of tandem cycling, where a visually-impaired rider takes the rear of the bike with a sighted pilot in front, only the visually-impaired rider actually received a medal.[61]

The number of events in each sport is noted in parentheses

Calendar [edit]

The official schedule was published on 25 August 2011.[62]

 ●  Opening ceremony     Event competitions  ●  Event finals  ●  Closing ceremony
August / September 2012 29
Wed		 30
Thu		 31
Fri		 1
Sat		 2
Sun		 3
Mon		 4
Tue		 5
Wed		 6
Thu		 7
Fri		 8
Sat		 9
Sun		 Gold
medals
Archery 4 3 2 9
Athletics 11 17 20 17 21 20 21 16 23 4 170
Boccia 3 4 7
Cycling 5 5 5 3 18 4 6 4 50
Equestrian 2 3 2 4 11
Football 5-a-side 1 1
Football 7-a-side 1 1
Goalball 2 2
Judo 4 4 5 13
Powerlifting 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 20
Rowing 4 4
Sailing 3 3
Shooting 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 12
Swimming 15 15 15 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 148
Table tennis 11 10 4 4 29
Volleyball 1 1 2
Wheelchair basketball 1 1 2
Wheelchair fencing 4 4 2 1 1 12
Wheelchair rugby 1 1
Wheelchair tennis 1 2 3 6
Total event finals 28 40 49 59 51 54 64 47 48 57 6 503
Cumulative Total 28 68 117 176 227 281 345 392 440 497 503
Ceremonies ● ●
August / September 2012 29
Wed		 30
Thu		 31
Fri		 1
Sat		 2
Sun		 3
Mon		 4
Tue		 5
Wed		 6
Thu		 7
Fri		 8
Sat		 9
Sun		 Gold
medals

[63]

Medal count [edit]

Main article: 2012 Summer Paralympics medal table

This table is based on the medal count of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).[64]

The ranking is sorted primarily by the number of gold medals earned by a National Paralympic Committee (NPC). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If countries are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by IPC Country Code.

Key

   *   Host NPC (Great Britain)

List of medal-winning NPCs, showing the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won
Rank NPC Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  China (CHN) 95 71 65 231
2  Russia (RUS) 36 38 28 102
3  Great Britain (GBR)* 34 43 43 120
4  Ukraine (UKR) 32 24 28 84
5  Australia (AUS) 32 23 30 85
6  United States (USA) 31 29 38 98
7  Brazil (BRA) 21 14 8 43
8  Germany (GER) 18 26 22 66
9  Poland (POL) 14 13 9 36
10  Netherlands (NED) 10 10 19 39
Total (75 NPCs) 503 503 516 1522

Multiple medallists [edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
[65]
# Athlete Sport Gold medal-2008PG.svg Silver medal-2008PG.svg Bronze medal-2008PG.svg
1 Australia Jacqueline Freney Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 8 0 0
2 Brazil Daniel Dias Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 6 0 0
3 Australia Matthew Cowdrey Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 5 2 1
United States Jessica Long Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 5 2 1
5 Belarus Ihar Boki Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 5 1 0
6 Russia Oxana Savchenko Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 5 0 0
7 Australia Ellie Cole Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 4 0 2
8 United States Raymond Martin Athletics pictogram (Paralympics).svg Athletics 4 0 0
United Kingdom Sarah Storey Cycling (road) pictogram (Paralympics).svg Cycling 4 0 0
United Kingdom Dave Weir Athletics pictogram (Paralympics).svg Athletics 4 0 0
China Xu Qing Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 4 0 0
China Yang Yang Swimming pictogram (Paralympics).svg Swimming 4 0 0

Broadcasting [edit]

LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe said of the Games' coverage: "As the world's second biggest multi-sport event, all eyes were be focused on the Paralympic Games in London for 2012. Beyond how the commercial value of this package has raised the bar financially for the Paralympic movement, the fantastic broadcast coverage we have agreed will help us take advantage of this opportunity to inspire disabled people of all ages to take up sport and be a catalyst for continued change in public attitudes towards disability." A record £10 million was raised from sales of broadcasting rights.[66]

The IPC webcasted approximately 780 hours on its YouTube channel.[88]

Controversies [edit]

Atos involvement [edit]

See also: Atos#controversy over disability benefit assessments

The role of IT company Atos as a technology provider and official sponsor was criticised by disability-rights groups, due to its contract with Britain's Department for Work and Pensions to carry out tests to determine eligibility for disability benefits.[39] These groups have felt that Atos's programme has lacked integrity and is intended simply to help cut government spending, and that it was inappropriate for Atos to sponsor a sporting event for the disabled whilst simultaneously operating a programme that has negatively affected their lives.[89] The protest group UK Uncut, which is opposed to public-service budget cuts, held a series of protests dubbed "The Atos Games" to coincide with the start of the Paralympics.[89][90] These reached a climax on 31 August outside the London headquarters of Atos and the Department for Work and Pensions. Speaking at the protests, comedian Jeremy Hardy said that the programme's intent to "victimise people with disabilities" was "blatant and shameless."[91]

During the opening ceremony some British athletes reportedly obscured the Atos logo on their accreditation passes in protest of their involvement.[39] However, an official from the British Paralympic Association denied that this had been the case.[91] LOCOG defended Atos's involvement, stating that the company was "a critical and valued member of [the companies] delivering these Games", due to the technologies it has provided, which included information systems for managing volunteers and distributing event results.[90]

Ticketing [edit]

Controversy arose about seating rules for wheelchair users, after two disabled mothers accused LOCOG of having discriminatory policies. One claimed she had been told by a LOCOG staff member that spectators in a wheelchair area at the Velodrome could only be accompanied by one adult, and children could not attend without being accompanied by another able-bodied adult, while another was told that her ability to sit in a wheelchair area with her children at ExCeL London was "not guaranteed." A petition for improved access for disabled families, started by one of the mothers on Change.org, quickly collected over 30,000 signatures. LOCOG denied having discriminatory policies, stating that disabled parents could steward their children in wheelchair seating areas at events with unreserved seats, but may not all be able to sit together at events with reserved seating.[92][93]

LOCOG faced further criticism for how it handled the sale of tickets for the wheelchair areas within venues. In May 2012 the online sale of tickets for wheelchair areas was replaced by a dedicated telephone hotline. Organisers were criticised for their use of a business-rate 0844 number for this hotline, and for neglecting to mention on its ticketing website that calls would be charged by the minute. Former sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe viewed this as discrimination against wheelchair users, and called upon LOCOG to compensate those who had used the hotline.[94] LOCOG denied that it was receiving additional profits from the phone line, and claimed that a dedicated line was being used to allow customers to receive a service tailored to their individual accessibility needs.[95]

A minor incident occurred involving blind Member of Parliament David Blunkett, who was attending the opening ceremony alongside a Channel 4 director. Blunkett was denied access to his seat at Olympic Stadium because there was no room for his guide dog, and had to watch the ceremony from seats in the stadium's gantry instead. However, Blunkett noted that this was an isolated incident and chose not to make an issue of it, simply advising organisers to "seek to find a solution rather than impose a preconceived notion of what is or is not possible."[96]

British television coverage [edit]

Channel 4 coverage shown live in Trafalgar Square

British official broadcaster Channel 4 received some criticism for its coverage of the Paralympics. Users of Twitter complained that its coverage of the opening ceremony contained too many commercial breaks (and drew comparisons to similar complaints faced by NBC during the Olympics' opening ceremony), while the commentary of Jon Snow and Krishnan Guru-Murthy (including their remarks about war-torn countries during the parade of nations) was also met with poor reception. Channel 4 argued that it was broadcasting "signifigantly fewer" commercials than normal during the ceremony.[97][98]

Channel 4 was also accused of showing too many studio segments during the first few days of the Games rather than live events, and for missing several major events, including a swimming heat where Eleanor Simmonds set a new personal best and almost beat the world record, Sarah Storey winning her eleventh Paralympic medal, and Great Britain's opening wheelchair basketball game against Germany. Channel 4 noted that time was needed during the first few days to explain Paralympic events and the classification system to viewers, and that it was operating three additional channels' worth of live coverage throughout the Games. The broadcaster also stated that it had to make editorial decisions on which events to air during periods where a large number of events were in progress.[99][100] The amount of live coverage was also affected by Olympic Broadcasting Services, who did not send cameras to every event; sports such as cycling, the marathon, and shooting were left without official television coverage. Channel 4's news department did send its own cameramen to film the events for highlights, but was unable to broadcast them live.[99]

American television coverage [edit]

In the United States, NBC Sports held the broadcast rights to both the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012. NBC has been frequently criticised in past years by American athletes and IPC officials for its minimal coverage of past Paralympics, and the broadcaster continued with this practice in London by only planning to air five-and-a-half hours of tape delayed highlights (primarily on NBC Sports Network, the last of which airing a week following the conclusion of the Games on NBC), no live coverage, and no coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies.[87][101] By contrast, British broadcaster Channel 4 planned to air 150 hours of live coverage from the Games, including both ceremonies.[101]

NBC's decision drew the ire of many American disability rights groups and IPC president Philip Craven, who expressed his disappointment for American athletes and viewers who would miss the "amazing images" the games would bring. Craven remarked that "some people think that North America always lead on everything, and on this they don't. It's about time they caught up."[101] Following the closing ceremonies, Craven hinted that the IPC might exercise greater scrutiny on broadcasters at future Paralympics by stating that "if we find our values don't fit, we'll have to go somewhere else."[102]

See also [edit]

Portal icon London portal
Portal icon Paralympics portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c http://www.paralympic.org/ (undated). "Participation Numbers". IPC. Retrieved 2 November 2012. 
  2. ^ "London 2012 Paralympic Games to be opened by The Queen". London2012.com. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012. 
  3. ^ a b c "Paralympics organisers feel London is launchpad for mass-market Games". The Guardian. 
  4. ^ "History of the Paralympics". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2012. 
  5. ^ "Mandeville Legacy: Stoke Mandeville 1984". Retrieved 14 August 2012. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Paralympics closing ceremony review: an emotional and fiery finale". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2012. 
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External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2012 Summer Paralympics
Preceded by
Beijing		 Summer Paralympic Games
London
XIV Paralympiad (2012)		 Succeeded by
Rio de Janeiro
Summer Games
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Winter Games
Events at the 2012 Summer Paralympics (London)
Venues of the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Olympic Zone
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Outside London
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2012_Summer_Paralympics&oldid=555503981"