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Attempt to get figure skating into Paralympics
- Thread starter moonvine
- Start date
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- Jul 26, 2003
Absolutely
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- Sep 24, 2025
Figure skaters with disabilities seek a place in the Paralympic spotlight
As a long jumper, Stef Reid never thought she'd need to learn how to land on ice. Now she's part of a movement hoping to get figure skating into the Paralympics.
I wonder does anyone have a protocol from the mentioned abive competitions? It would be nice to see how the disabled community goes about scoring...
And I feel this is where Solo Ice Dance could be a nice roadmap. Thoughts?
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Figure skaters with disabilities seek a place in the Paralympic spotlight
As a long jumper, Stef Reid never thought she'd need to learn how to land on ice. Now she's part of a movement hoping to get figure skating into the Paralympics.consent.yahoo.com
I wonder does anyone have a protocol from the mentioned abive competitions? It would be nice to see how the disabled community goes about scoring...
And I feel this is where Solo Ice Dance could be a nice roadmap. Thoughts?
3A Result
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- Dec 1, 2011
I enjoyed watching Steff Reid on Dancing on Ice. I think she reached the quarter final. I’m glad she has continued to skate.
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- Jan 28, 2013
I have a question, and it is absolutely not meant to disparage or minimize the achievements of these athletes.
Does anyone watch the Paralympic Games? I don't think I can name a Paralympic athlete, either American or otherwise.
I'm sure there are good stores and excellent athletes that deserve recognition, but I'm worn out after the Olympics, and I don't watch the Paralympic Games that follow, and I see very little publicity about them.
If the IOC wants to make these Games a bigger deal, I think they need a new strategy. Perhaps the Winter Paralympic Games could be run concurrently. On most nights of Olympic coverage, there seemed to be a lack of sports stuff for the commentary team to talk about, or they wouldn't have to fill the airtime with nonsense features.
Does anyone watch the Paralympic Games? I don't think I can name a Paralympic athlete, either American or otherwise.
I'm sure there are good stores and excellent athletes that deserve recognition, but I'm worn out after the Olympics, and I don't watch the Paralympic Games that follow, and I see very little publicity about them.
If the IOC wants to make these Games a bigger deal, I think they need a new strategy. Perhaps the Winter Paralympic Games could be run concurrently. On most nights of Olympic coverage, there seemed to be a lack of sports stuff for the commentary team to talk about, or they wouldn't have to fill the airtime with nonsense features.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
To be honest, the only time I have watched the Paralympics was Sochi 2014. And even then it was only the Alpine Skiing that I watched, because there was a girl from Northern Ireland competing in it. And she ended up winning a
Gold Medal.I did enjoy watching the Alpine Skiing. But, I didn't watch the next Games at Pyeongchang 2018. Kelly was coming back from injury and wasn't in form, and they were on at an awkward time.
Kelly had retired by the time Beijing 2022 came along. And again, they were on at an awkward time.
Depending on when the competitions are on, I might watch the Alpine Skiing this time. Mind you, I haven't finished watching the Olympics yet. And I need to get that done, because the TNT Sports content is moving from Discovery+ to HBO Max on 26th March, and I am worried that they might just take the Olympics coverage down then.
Funnily enough, the Paralympics do get a lot of publicity here. But, that may be because they are broadcast on a different channel (Channel 4) to the Olympics (TNT Sports and the BBC). And so Channel 4 milk them for all it's worth.
And because there are countries where the Paralympics and the Olympics are broadcast on different channels, I don't think running them concurrently would work.
CaroLiza_fan
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- Oct 22, 2022
I watch the Paralympics when I'm home where my computer screen is, and when I can find them being shown. I'll watch any parasport, but particularly hockey. I used to skate at a rink where the Canadian sledge hockey team of that year practised and got to know the players of that era. At another rink in another city, a goalie in a sledge often showed up at the drop-in stick and puck sessions and the other players loved it when he did because he was faster and gave them more of a workout. When you actually see these athletes in person, it's even more impressive and makes you feel even more like you're slacking when sports come easily to you just because you're able-bodied. It keeps your own ego humble.
I also watch wheelchair ballroom dance, which is a growing activity if not a competitive sport yet. Same reasons.
Edit: I see I missed out the part about TV coverage. I know they're held one right after the other because the facilities are there (but some have to be altered, like the access to and view from the hockey players' benches, so the two types of sports can't be run concurrently in the same venues) and the volunteers are there, and the tourist facilities are set up for larger numbers, etc etc. But it might be better if they could be held at the same time but in different locations? Probably cost-prohibitive, and strain the airtime available when other stuff has to also be shown for those who aren't interested in either Games. The Deaflympics are held in random years, when a place and the funds can be found. They need other adaptations, like the use of flashing lights instead of whistles in deaf hockey, so they follow their own path.
Now I'm rambling. Stream of consciousness and nothing useful is coming to mind. But I do wish the Paralympics got more attention, especially when you compare the athlete's performances these days to those in the earliest years when it was still a new idea.
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- Dec 9, 2019
Wow, I didn't know that there was a Paralympic section, thank you! Where is it?
Well, alas, there's no Figure Skating at the Paralympic Games, so, no... (I haven't watched any other Sport at the Olympic Games, either.)
I unfortunately don't either - but this clip was going viral during the summer Olympics of 2024.
It's very inspiring. I hope people watch it.
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- Mar 7, 2015
2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Mar 6-15, 2026 Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country Skiing, Ice Hockey, Snowboarding, & Curling
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- Dec 9, 2019
Oh, thank you, I hadn't thought that it could be the general Paralympic Games! I had imagined that there was a thread about Figure Skating for people with disabilities, as it does exist, particularly for kids with a Down syndrome or the like; but it's still very little developed.2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Mar 6-15, 2026 Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country Skiing, Ice Hockey, Snowboarding, & Curlingwww.goldenskate.com
(And I'm afraid I'm not very interested in "other Sports".)
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- Mar 7, 2015
Down syndrome is Special Olympics not Paralympics if I recall correctly and figure skating is already included
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- Dec 9, 2019
Wow, I didn't know Special Olympics! It looks awesome! Thank you, I'll spread the word!
Edit: I see that the French Special Olympics don't have Figure Skating; but they do have Artistic Gymnastic and I didn't know:
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- Mar 30, 2016
I think we get good coverage of summer Paralympics, and there are some well-known names in Britain. But for winter Olympics... we don't have snowy winters, and are pretty pants at most winter sports, so even the main event gets less coverage. For para, I'd think very few people are interested.
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- Mar 30, 2016
Great Britain is second on the all-time medal table of the Summer Paralympics, but has never won a medal at the Winter Paralympics, and I thnk the level of interest here mirrors that. 
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- Oct 25, 2012
Great Britain is second on the all-time medal table of the Summer Paralympics, but has never won a medal at the Winter Paralympics, and I thnk the level of interest here mirrors that.
Erm, the tables on the main Paralympic pages on Wikipedia only show the Top 20, ordered by Gold Medals. (Which I do not agree with. It should be ordered by Total Medals).
The full Medal table for the Paralympics (Summer and Winter) is on this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Paralympic_Games_medal_table
We have won 40 Winter Paralympic Medals:
3
Gold Medals14
Silver Medals23
Bronze MedalsWhen ordered by Total Medals, we are in 19th position in the Winter Medals list.
Our very first
Gold Medal was won at Sochi 2014 by Alpine skier Kelly Gallagher, from over here in Northern Ireland.
2014 Women's Visually Impaired Super-G Paralympic
Gold Medallist Kelly GALLAGHER (with the white hair) and her guide Charlotte EVANS.So there!
CaroLiza_fan
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- Mar 30, 2016
Good catch!Erm, the tables on the main Paralympic pages on Wikipedia only show the Top 20, ordered by Gold Medals. (Which I do not agree with. It should be ordered by Total Medals).
The full Medal table for the Paralympics (Summer and Winter) is on this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Paralympic_Games_medal_table
We have won 40 Winter Paralympic Medals:
3
14
23
When ordered by Total Medals, we are in 19th position in the Winter Medals list.
But I think it should obviously be ordered primarily by gold, then silver, then bronze. We're not American, after all! And we come quite a lot lower down then.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
That argument can be used for my viewpoint too:
We're not America. With the funding we have, we will never get to their level. So we need to make as much noise as we can about everything we do get!
CaroLiza_fan
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