The 2008 Beijing PARALYMPICS...not the Olympics!!!

Well, it has been almost 2 months since the Olympics opened and finished in Beijing, and it seems such a distant memory now that everyone has come....and....GONE!!!

Well, after most of the photographers left to go back home, I had both the pleasure and luxury of staying in Beijing to photograph the Paralympics, that take place about 2 weeks after the more famous Olympics end. Many of the same venues are used, but it is a much different and also fun atmosphere.

I had attended and photographed the 2000 Sydney Paralympics (http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/411), and remember I had such a good time doing it, that when I knew I could cover this too, my wife suggested I just go ahead and do it, even without any assignments for it. She said that I seemed like a new person after the Sydney games, that I should just go do it again.

Well, I did and am glad I did.

Some of the things I did this time, was come and go as I pleased, and covered sports I mostly had no real idea about from previously, or that I just felt drawn to. Some of those sports are: 5 to a side football (teams made of blind participants playing soccer while wearing eye covers to insure the participants eyes are equally sightless), Wheel Chair Rugby (where there is brutal contact in specially built wheel chairs and lots of crashes, etc.), Wheel Chair fencing, Judo and the Marathon, (where the wheel chair participants drove in front of Mao's portrait in Tiananmen Square.)

The other nice thing was that there were no huge crowds of Media or Photographers, so you get to a venue, and just find a place to shoot photos from.

I think the thing that was most amazing this time covering the Paralympics, was that the whole Chinese nation was exposed to the disabled in a way they didn't expect, and came away richer from it. A friend who came from Hong Kong so they could see the 'Bird's Nest' and the 'Water Cube', came away amazed at what the disabled were able to do. They were also moved at how even the last place finishers were cheered on as if they were a Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt.

China had billed these Paralympics as 'Two games, equal billing' and that they did from the Opening Ceremony to the final events. They facilities for the athletes were great, and the hospitality, and crowds. So for those that saw the Olympics, a great time was had. And for the Paralympics, words can't describe the experience.

Here are some of the photos with captions from the Paralympics:





PEK0 20080906 BEIJING, CHINA : Two athletes from Brazil dance and celebrate during the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Saturday, 06 September, 2008.








PEK0 20080906 BEIJING, CHINA : An artistic performance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, China on Saturday, 06September, 2008.






PEK0 20080906 BEIJING, CHINA : Chinese Athletics athlete Hou Bin climbs towards the torch to light it during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, China on Saturday, 06 September, 2008.


PEK0 20080911 BEIJING, CHINA : Competition of 5-a-side Football between China and Korea during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Thursday, 11 September, 2008. Each mach is played between two teams with four blind athletes and one sighted or visually impaired goalkeeper on the field as well as five substitutes. Additionally, each team has a guide behind the opponent's goal to direct the players when they shoot.



PEK0 20080912 BEIJING, CHINA : Fabien Lavoie, #11 of Canada, looses his balance during the teams Wheelchair Rugby match against Japan during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Friday, 12 September, 2008.


PEK0 20080917 BEIJING, CHINA : Mykola Davydenko (right) of Ukraine competes against Chan Wing Kin of Hong Kong in the quarterfinal round of the Men's Individual Sabre Category A match of Wheelchair Fencing during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Sunday, 17 September, 2008.

PEK0 20080917 BEIJING, CHINA : Mykola Davydenko of Ukraine celebrates beating Cyril More of France in the round of 16 in the Medal Men's Individual Sabre Category A match of Wheelchair Fencing during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Sunday, 17 September, 2008.




PEK0 20080917 BEIJING, CHINA : Qi Shun of China wins the Men's Marathon-T12 division as the capacity crowd looks on during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Wednesday, 17 September, 2008.












PEK0 20080913 BEIJING, CHINA : Swimmers make their way from the pool after competing during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Saturday, 13 September, 2008.




PEK0 20080913 BEIJING, CHINA : The photo work room of the Main Press Center (MPC) shows vastly less activity and media members during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Saturday, 13 September, 2008 than it did during the earlier Olympic Games.




PEK0 20080906 BEIJING, CHINA : The National Stadium or 'Bird's Nest' glows in the evening after the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on Saturday, 06 September, 2008.