Should the Olympics and Paralympics be a single combined event?

Chris_Scope

In an article on the Huffington Post, broadcaster and journalist @Mik_Scarlet has questioned whether it’s time for the concept of a separate Paralympics to be abolished and for para-events to be run alongside non-disabled events at the Olympics. What do you think of this idea? Do you think it’s important to keep disabled sports separate, or would you like to see greater integration? Let us know by commenting below.

basiclee08

No our Paralympians Deserve To Have Their Moment To Shine and Not To Be a Add on to Olympics to Save a Few Bob. This is far from about Integration and More about Money!. We Have Had to Put up With Cuts and our Services Butchered One thing That is A Slow case for some of to have their moment Money shouldn't be able to buy or take that away from them. Keep Paralympics Full Stop 

sara70

I often wondered why they were separate, that was until I watched a brilliant dramatisation about how it all started.  I wonder what the sports men and women would like?  I love the fact that they get the opportunity to take centre stage! 

cpchris

No!
Too expensive and massive to work. 
You're talking about the transportation, accommodation, feeding and security of at least 16000 athletes plus support staff. 
There would be horrendous bottlenecks at the track, pool and velodrome. 
Both events would need to be restructured and rescheduled and most athletes from both camps would reject any such move. 
The media would also struggle to give fair coverage to both events simultaneously and would ignore us even more than they do now!
I competed in the 1980 & 1984 Paralympics. 

Chris_Scope

Thanks for joining the discussion @cpchris, great to hear the opinion of a former paralympian on this. @sara70 and @basiclee08, you both make a very good point about the athletes being given their moment in the spotlight, but do you feel that the current coverage of the Paralympics in the media is adequate in relation to last month's Olympics?

cpchris

We have to be honest with ourselves - the likes of me are never going to have the same 'pull' as Bolt or Ennis-Hill. 
In my day all we got was a one or two hour programme covering the whole event - so, in all honesty, the situation may appear not be better but believe me it is!!

Chris_Scope

I've also just created a poll on this subject - it will be interesting to see the results.

JadeB

@basiclee08 couldn't agree more well said x

Footloose

cpchris said:

We have to be honest with ourselves - the likes of me are never going to have the same 'pull' as Bolt or Ennis-Hill. 
In my day all we got was a one or two hour programme covering the whole event - so, in all honesty, the situation may appear not be better but believe me it is!!

I reckon you are under-estimating the impact that the London, and now Rio Paralympics are having media and society wise. You could say that in the Uk, Ch4's  'The Last Leg' programme and the team currently being out at Rio, is doing a fine job, even if some of the gags, might 'upset' some narrow-minded people with distorted views of disabled people. I would agree that the London version hasn't delivered on some of the things that we were told it would, but, it undoubtedly had a very positive impact on the Rio Paralympics. With a bit of luck, CH4's coverage might change the attitude of other TV channels world-wide. Who would have thought that some of the Paralympic events would attract more people to them, than any of the 'conventional' Games events did!? 

Footloose

Oh, by the way, I think combining the two games, would NOT do the Paralympics any favours coverage-wise. Jo Public just isn't ready yet for that level of integration!

Chloe

I agree with the fact that it will 'End The Awkward!' and make it easier for those in home towns and cities who have got disabled family members and neighbours and may help with those who do suffer to feel more excepted because if they can see that professional athletes can do it then why can't they. 
However, I believe that the paralympics should be a separate event and those with disabilities should be given praise and recognition for their struggle and how hard and far they have come to get this far. 

jackq31

Nobody should take anything the Huffington Post publishes seriously. They are all idiots with no understanding of economics and quite frankly they are incredible bigoted.

Judomandean

As a Disabled and British SN Judo championship medalist, I personally thing that the two events should be separate as it gives our disabled athletes their day in the sun and it all about their personal struggles and efforts.

Footloose

So Judomandean, are you saying you would prefer the Olympics and Paralympics to be:
[A] Run as they were at Rio, one directly after the other? 
or 
[B] Separately, a month or more apart?

I am of course assuming, you are saying both Games [C] Should held at the same venue? rather than [D] a completly different location?

Judomandean

I am not too sure Footloose, it is a tricky one.  I just want these hard working determined and committed athletes to get these guys the best exposure they can, that being said I suppose to achieve that having BOTH run simultaneously and part of the SAME games might be best ALTHOUGH I can appreciate the logistical problems with this plan.

Footloose

I think running them as they did at Rio, would be the way I'd like them to continue, as I feel any 'significant 'gap' between them, reduces the positive impact the Paralympics have on facilities being made available to disabled people in general, plus the media at large can't end up 'implying' there's not enough interest in it for them to report what goes on. Let's face it, if Ch4 and the main advertiser that (I gather) 'Stepped up to the plate' at the last moment, the coverage that we did get, would have been a lot less. I also think that because of Ch4, (and the 'Last Leg' team!) broadcasters in other countries may well now realise that the Paralympics isn't the minor backwater they thought it was, programming-wise.