General Info and Pregame Chat

[snowflake]

Russian athletes are allowed to compete under their own flag.

Nations skipping the opening ceremony

More nations skip Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony as boycott grows

A growing list of countries plan to skip the ceremony in protest at the inclusion of Russian athletes under their own flag.

www.reuters.com

 

[Diana Delafield]

I do wish they'd include a figure skating event in the Winter Paralympics. I know they require a fair number of athletes in some certain number of countries to include a new sport, but there do seem to be quite a few skaters who work around handicaps. I've known two men who did ice dancing, one who was blind and skated with his wife, and one who had lost part of a leg and had a prosthetic lower leg in one boot that you would never have realized if you hadn't seen him on the changing bench. And I saw a clip on Facebook recently of a girl doing a freeskate program, including certain single jumps, and you only noticed she had one prosthetic leg because she was wearing the same costume as other competitors, a short skating dress. And then there are wheelchair dance and pairs skaters with an able-bodied partner, and I've seen in the past a woman singles skater with one arm.

If they can have sledge hockey (and women players are lobbying to be included, since so far it's only men's teams), why not figure skating?

 

[4everchan]

I do wish they'd include a figure skating event in the Winter Paralympics. I know they require a fair number of athletes in some certain number of countries to include a new sport, but there do seem to be quite a few skaters who work around handicaps. I've known two men who did ice dancing, one who was blind and skated with his wife, and one who had lost part of a leg and had a prosthetic lower leg in one boot that you would never have realized if you hadn't seen him on the changing bench. And I saw a clip on Facebook recently of a girl doing a freeskate program, including certain single jumps, and you only noticed she had one prosthetic leg because she was wearing the same costume as other competitors, a short skating dress. And then there are wheelchair dance and pairs skaters with an able-bodied partner, and I've seen in the past a woman singles skater with one arm.

If they can have sledge hockey (and women players are lobbying to be included, since so far it's only men's teams), why not figure skating?

Here is the information on para figure skating

Para figure skating, or adaptive skating, is
an emerging sport for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities, featuring adapted techniques like wheelchair or standing skating. While not currently in the Winter Paralympics, organizations like Inclusive Skating and U.S. Figure Skating promote it, offering competitions for all impairment levels. It includes specialized, classifications for fair competition, often allowing modified jumps and spins.
Inclusive Skating +4
Key Aspects of Para Figure Skating

• Organizations & Competition: Inclusive Skating provides international competitions for all impairment levels, including the World Inclusive Para Skating Championships. Skate Canada and U.S. Figure Skating offer local and national adaptive programs.
• Categories: The sport includes, wheel-chair skating, standing skating for individuals with amputations or other physical disabilities, and programs for those with intellectual disabilities.
• Classification System: Inclusive Skating uses a classification system to evaluate how a disability affects skating ability, often involving experts to ensure fair, competition.
• Adaptations:Skaters adapt, techniques, such as performing spins on specific legs, using prosthetics, or adjusting jumps, to match their abilities.
  

 

[Diana Delafield]

Here is the information on para figure skating

Para figure skating, or adaptive skating, is
an emerging sport for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities, featuring adapted techniques like wheelchair or standing skating. While not currently in the Winter Paralympics, organizations like Inclusive Skating and U.S. Figure Skating promote it, offering competitions for all impairment levels. It includes specialized, classifications for fair competition, often allowing modified jumps and spins.
Inclusive Skating +4
Key Aspects of Para Figure Skating

• Organizations & Competition: Inclusive Skating provides international competitions for all impairment levels, including the World Inclusive Para Skating Championships. Skate Canada and U.S. Figure Skating offer local and national adaptive programs.
• Categories: The sport includes, wheel-chair skating, standing skating for individuals with amputations or other physical disabilities, and programs for those with intellectual disabilities.
• Classification System: Inclusive Skating uses a classification system to evaluate how a disability affects skating ability, often involving experts to ensure fair, competition.
• Adaptations:Skaters adapt, techniques, such as performing spins on specific legs, using prosthetics, or adjusting jumps, to match their abilities.

I knew about the Inclusive Skating movement at a national level in some countries, I'd just like to see it grow to the Paralympics level. Deaf sports are, by their own choice, separate and hold (occasionally) their own Deaflympics. I've met a couple of the players on the Canadian deaf hockey team who were the gold medallists in a past edition of their Games. Of course it would be difficult to include a music-dependent sport there, but they could have figures, jump, and combination spins events.

 

[4everchan]

I knew about the Inclusive Skating movement at a national level in some countries, I'd just like to see it grow to the Paralympics level. Deaf sports are, by their own choice, separate and hold (occasionally) their own Deaflympics. I've met a couple of the players on the Canadian deaf hockey team who were the gold medallists in a past edition of their Games. Of course it would be difficult to include a music-dependent sport there, but they could have figures, jump, and combination spins events.

I think one of the issues is participation from enough Federations.
Gymnastics will finally enter the Paralympics in 2032... So you can imagine that figure skating will take a bit more time.
It's much harder to 1) get enough federations and athletes to participate but 2) get a proper fair way to assess athletes so that results can be computed fairly when it's at the Paralympic level.

for instance, in some disciplines, when there aren't enough athletes for some classes, they will use factoring to calculate the time of a race. So athletes with different impairments can still compete against one another but their results go through factoring and adjusting.

It may be something quite hard to do with a sport like figure skating versus a race-type sport.

In other words, I do not expect to see figure skating at the Paralympics anytime soon.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I think one of the issues is participation from enough Federations.
Gymnastics will finally enter the Paralympics in 2032... So you can imagine that figure skating will take a bit more time.
It's much harder to 1) get enough federations and athletes to participate but 2) get a proper fair way to assess athletes so that results can be computed fairly when it's at the Paralympic level.

for instance, in some disciplines, when there aren't enough athletes for some classes, they will use factoring to calculate the time of a race. So athletes with different impairments can still compete against one another but their results go through factoring and adjusting.

It may be something quite hard to do with a sport like figure skating versus a race-type sport.

In other words, I do not expect to see figure skating at the Paralympics anytime soon.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I think one of the issues is participation from enough Federations.
Gymnastics will finally enter the Paralympics in 2032... So you can imagine that figure skating will take a bit more time.
It's much harder to 1) get enough federations and athletes to participate but 2) get a proper fair way to assess athletes so that results can be computed fairly when it's at the Paralympic level.

for instance, in some disciplines, when there aren't enough athletes for some classes, they will use factoring to calculate the time of a race. So athletes with different impairments can still compete against one another but their results go through factoring and adjusting.

It may be something quite hard to do with a sport like figure skating versus a race-type sport.

In other words, I do not expect to see figure skating at the Paralympics anytime soon.

Oh, I know. I just think it would be an inspiration to a lot of kids. I'd be happy to see it as a demonstration sport now and then.

Artistic roller skaters do the same programs figure skaters do on ice, with the same degree of proficiency (although quad jumps are being added more slowly because the greater weight of the roller skates make them more difficult to do; the stronger men are adding them to their programs). But the sport is concentrated so much in a few countries it keeps them out of the Summer Olympics even though the sport is popular at the recreational level everywhere.

 

[4everchan]

Oh, I know. I just think it would be an inspiration to a lot of kids. I'd be happy to see it as a demonstration sport now and then.

Artistic roller skaters do the same programs figure skaters do on ice, with the same degree of proficiency (although quad jumps are being added more slowly because the greater weight of the roller skates make them more difficult to do; the stronger men are adding them to their programs). But the sport is concentrated so much in a few countries it keeps them out of the Summer Olympics even though the sport is popular at the recreational level everywhere.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/figure-skating-paralympics-stef-reid-9.7112458

 

[Diana Delafield]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/figure-skating-paralympics-stef-reid-9.7112458

That's probably who I saw in a video on Facebook. She had a prosthetic right leg and landed her jumps on it smoothly. I was particularly impressed with the turnout she managed on Bauers and spread eagles (better than mine, frankly). We have one teenage girl at our club with a balance problem who uses a walker adapted for skating, and the sports complex specifies that all facilities are open to participants with any disabilities. I should see if I can get more involved with the Inclusive Skating movement in some way.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Whilst it is not related to the Winter Paralympics, I felt that I should post here that Alessandro Zinardi (ITA) died yesterday. He was 59.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cvgz0kpxjpgo

I knew Alex mainly from his time in Formula 1, where he made his debut in 1991 with Irish team Jordan Grand Prix (taking over the car which a certain Michael Schumacher had made his F1 debut in a few races earlier).

But he actually had more success in Indycar racing, where he won the championship in 1997 and 1998. In 2001, he lost both his legs after a crash in an Indycar race in Germany. But he fought back, and returned to motor racing, competing for many years in various Touring Car, GT car, and Sportscar championships. Although he didn't win any championships, he had quite a few podium finishes and also won races.

He also took up hand cycling. At the Para-Cycling World Championships, he won a total of 12 Gold Medals, 5 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze Medal. At the Summer Paralympics, he won 4 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals.

He was a true inspiration.

My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Diana Delafield]

Whilst it is not related to the Winter Paralympics, I felt that I should post here that Alessandro Zinardi (ITA) died yesterday. He was 59.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cvgz0kpxjpgo

I knew Alex mainly from his time in Formula 1, where he made his debut in 1991 with Irish team Jordan Grand Prix (taking over the car which a certain Michael Schumacher had made his F1 debut in a few races earlier).

But he actually had more success in Indycar racing, where he won the championship in 1997 and 1998. In 2001, he lost both his legs after a crash in an Indyca race in Germany. But he fought back, and returned to motor racing, competing for many years in various Touring Car, GT car, and Sportscar championships. Although he didn't win any championships, he had quite a few podium finishes and also won races.

He also took up hand cycling. At the Para-Cycling World Championships, he won a total of 12 Gold Medals, 5 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze Medal. At the Summer Paralympics, he won 4 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals.

He was a true inspiration.

My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.

CaroLiza_fan

I was just reading on the CBC website the report of his death and the story of his career. Incredible.