Not disabled enough for the Paralympics

[andyh1884]

Irish athlete expelled from the Games

Ireland has called into question the integrity of the classification process for Paralympians with cerebral palsy after one of their athletes was expelled from the Beijing Games for being insufficiently disabled.

Derek Malone, an athletics bronze medallist at the 2004 Paralympics, was ruled ineligible after officials said he did not "demonstrate enough impairment of function in football" in Ireland's first match in the seven-a-side football in Beijing.

The 28-year-old said he was "bitterly disappointed" and the victim of his own success in training so hard to manage the symptoms of his condition, an impairment which results in altered neuromuscular function.

"Cerebral palsy has shown to be a very trainable condition but if you stop training for any length of time, the symptoms will return. There's no cure for cerebral palsy," Malone said.

"I find it ridiculous. High-performance sport is about pushing the limits...how can you have a system that penalises athletes for working hard at their skills? I refuse to let a flawed process cast aspersions on the integrity of the achievements I have made."

All athletes competing in the seven-a-side football, a sport contested only by athletes with cerebral palsy at the Games, are assessed and classified by officials according to the extent of their impairment.

Those, like Malone, who have the least disability must have "an obvious impairment that has impact on the sport of football".

Ukraine, Brazil and the Netherlands joined the Irish in expressing their concerns about the process, which they said was "not open and transparent" and suffered from "unequal application to different nations".

"It appears to be the case that if he had not pursued his athletic endeavour with such zeal for a significant time period leading to these Games, he is more likely to have been classified eligible," said Liam Harbison, Secretary General of the Paralympic Council of Ireland.

"That is at odds with the very ethos of high-performance sport...we feel he has become a victim of a flawed rule book."

Alan Dickson, President of the governing Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), said he would meet the concerned delegations later on Thursday.

"We have had a recognised classification system in place for some time," he said.

"As the sport moves on, you have to be prepared to move that on too...clearly people are training more and that may have an effect on their functional ability."

Malone said he had trained for four years for Beijing, sacrificing his social life and engineering career to fulfil his Paralympic dream.

"How can someone suggest my disability doesn't affect my sport?" he asked. "My whole sporting career has been a battle to beat the symptoms...I don't want another kid to work so hard and end up in this situation."

Interesting stuff, I'm not sure how someone can say 'you're not disabled enough', although I do see how there could be issues around the subject.

In the comments section I was amazed to see comment 48 hadn't been removed, that's an interesting point of view!

[DB11]

Irish athlete expelled from the Games

Ireland has called into question the integrity of the classification process for Paralympians with cerebral palsy after one of their athletes was expelled from the Beijing Games for being insufficiently disabled.

That statement is quite funny.

[dandannieldanok]

In the comments section I was amazed to see comment 48 hadn't been removed, that's an interesting point of view!

And here it is:

"Im sorry, but they shouldn't even be playing football. F*%k me, i bet there still claiming disability allowance here, money they get because they arn't able to do the normal things in life, while they swan off round the other side of the world, playing f*&king football.

why doesnt he get a f*&king normal job and stop complaining, he should be greatful.

Im not being funny here, but who wants to watch a load of spag's running round a football pitch trying to play, it sholdnt be in the olympics anyway, let alone these having a go. The Olympics games-Bringing together the most agile sports competitors on the plant or a load of spacks pretending there gods(at least it makes them happy)."

What a twat ^

[fox123]

Some bloke in the paralympics has tested positive for WD40!

[uggie_13]

Some bloke in the paralympics has tested positive for WD40!

Shouldn't really laugh but....

[Alexikokopops]

Fact of the day:

The Paralympics is called so not because it's the games for "paralysed people", but because para comes from the Greek meaning "beside", because it runs beside the Olympic games.

BOOYAH!

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Fact of the day:

The Paralympics is called so not because it's the games for "paralysed people", but because para comes from the Greek meaning "beside", because it runs beside the Olympic games.

BOOYAH!

Well, i learnt something today, geez i really didn't expect that fact.

[Alexikokopops]

Well, i learnt something today, geez i really didn't expect that fact.

I'm a man about town. A fact elephant if you will.

[SOCCERROO FOX]

I'm a man about town. A fact elephant if you will.

A fact a day, keeps the gays away

[lavrentis]

Fact of the day:

The Paralympics is called so not because it's the games for "paralysed people", but because para comes from the Greek meaning "beside", because it runs beside the Olympic games.

BOOYAH!

para poly zeste

para can also be used for "very" when used more than once.

Another thing you might have learnt

[l444ry]

Heather Mills in paralympic gold digger finals.

Top UK medal hopeful Heather Mills is in pole position for a record breaking win in the paralympic gold digger finals.

Mills, 41, faced stiff competition in the Anna Nicole Smith Memorial heats dedicated in memory of top-heavy lopsided borderline personalities.

But she came through to smash international world records in the specialised blagging-your-way-thru-the-divorce-courts qualifier and is now 5/4 fav to take the gold medal.

"She may not yet be in the Lily Safra geriatric class," a Paralympic source said today.

"You need to shoot dead three consecutive banker husbands and prove it was suicide," a top Interpol officer added.