Tag Archives: paralympians

London named host city for 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships

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London Calling: City's delight to welcome back world-class Paralympians in 2017

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UPDATED:

18:35 GMT, 19 December 2012

London will hope to replicate the summer of 2012 at the Olympic Stadium in five years after being named the host city for the 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships.

Just one month before the IAAF World Championships, the best paralympians in the world will take to the track and field in Stratford, as, for the first time, one city hosts the two championships side-by-side.

The bid was successful after Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, pointed to the success of the London 2012 Games, while the International Paralympic Committee hope the enthusiasm which greeted the Paralympics in August and September will be emulated in four-and-a-half years' time.

Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock celebrates

GB star: Jonnie Peacock will look to repeat his recent heroics at London 2017

Xavier Gonzalez, chief executive of the IPC, who organise the event, said: “The London 2012 Paralympic Games were some of the best we've ever seen, and we cannot wait to see Great Britain embrace the Paralympic movement once again with open arms.

“The bar has been set high for the 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships, and we are eager to see the worldwide media attention they attract.”

Hannah Cockroft at the 2012 games

Winner: Fans could see Hannah Cockroft return to the track at the Olympic Stadium

Johnson, who is chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation and submitted a formal bid for the event last month, said: “This year London just staged the best spectacle of sport the world has seen.

“.

“London's Paralympic Games were the first ever to sell out and these championships provide a perfect chance to build on that enthusiasm for disabled sport, bringing back the world's greatest Paralympians to the Olympic Stadium, and at the same time providing a major economic boost to the capital.”

Jason Smyth of Ireland celebrates winning the men's 100m T13 classification final

Irish light: Jason Smyth of Ireland will be just one of world-class paralympians back in London in five years

IPC President Sir Philip Craven hailed London 2012 as the “best Games” in history with 1,134 athletes taking part in track and field events, setting 102 world and 139 Paralympic records.

The athletics events were particularly well received as British wheelchair racers David Weir and Hannah Cockroft, amputee sprinters Jonnie Peacock and Richard Whitehead and others became household names in front of sold-out crowds of 80,000 for every session.

The IPC Athletics World Championships are the largest single-sport competition for athletes with an impairment in the world and take place on a bi-annual basis.

Paralympic closing ceremony

Spectacular: Fireworks light up the stadium during the closing ceremony and spectators can expect similar pyrotechnics in 2017

Ed Warner, IPC Athletics Sport Technical Committee chairperson and chair of UK Athletics, said: “The UK's capital city has already demonstrated its ability to provide an excellent experience for athletes and spectators alike.

“London 2017 will bring record crowds for an IPC World Championships, creating an ideal backdrop for athletes to break records, further raising the profile of sport for people with an impairment in the process.”

David Weir wins gold

Gold: David Weir was the hero of the 2012 games and fans will be hoping to see similar British triumph in 2017

Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira and Oscar Pistorius

Rivals: Alan Oliveira (L) and Oscar Pistorius (R) will look to renew rivalry at London 2017.

SPOTY 2012: Andy Murray should have won, not Bradley Wiggins

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If it's really about sport, Murray should have prevailed over Wiggins

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UPDATED:

09:57 GMT, 17 December 2012

You could easily have made a case for half a dozen different winners. And that’s just among those who didn’t make the top 12.

It is inevitable, then, that last night’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year victory for Bradley Wiggins will not represent the end of the debate.

Ah, how glorious it is to argue over which of Britain’s multi-talented, honour-laden, phenomenally successful sporting ambassadors should be named first among equals in a public poll.

At last: Andy Murray won the US Open to end years 76 years of hurt

At last: Andy Murray won the US Open to end years 76 years of hurt

Murray's mint

Martin Samuel also felt the Scot should have won last night

Anyone who knows athletics understands how impossible it should have been for Mo Farah to do the distance double. Or how about Jess Ennis, THE face of London 2012, having missed Beijing through injury

Chris Hoy, Britain’s greatest ever Olympian. The Paralympians who changed attitudes about disability in Britain — and beyond. All held a claim on the crown.

But, if it’s really about the sport, the prize should have gone to Andy Murray. Put bluntly, he didn’t just succeed when it mattered — he also triumphed with the weight of history on his shoulders.

Winner: Bradley Wiggins was crowned Sports Personality of the Year

Winner: Bradley Wiggins was crowned Sports Personality of the Year

That is not something you could say about even Wiggins, as remarkable achievement it was being the first British winner of the Tour de France.

While that historic victory will stand for the ages, it is not as if Wiggo has had to deal with years and years of endless questioning over when one of ‘our boys’ might finally end the wait for a Continent-conquering road warrior to emerge.

As much as we all celebrated the win by a fantastic athlete and all-round geezer, if he had finished runner-up or even ninth, the nation would have shrugged and moved on.

Recognised: Murray came third and was presented the trophy by Lennox Lewis

Recognised: Murray came third and was presented the trophy by Lennox Lewis

Murray Every time he has ‘squandered’ a Grand Slam opportunity, the wailing and gnashing of teeth has been heard around the world. Oh, how could that serial Scottish loser possibly let Britain down again He alone had lived with the ghost of Fred Perry, British angst, 1936 and all that.

And he’d failed in four Slam finals. No one had ever lost their first five. No other nominee can understand what it’s like to have lived under that kind of expectation for more than just a couple of weeks during one glorious sporting summer.

Let the debate continue, then. Enjoy it. We may never get the chance to argue like this again.

Sports Personality of the Year: Nominees name winner

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We'd crown Wiggo! The British heroes of 2012 pick their winner for SPOTY

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UPDATED:

23:04 GMT, 26 November 2012

If it was simply down to the 12 nominees, Bradley Wiggins would win the most eagerly anticipated BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in its 59-year history.

If it was just down to Mo Farah, however, he would walk off with the prize himself.

The list of nominees was released on Monday, and Wiggins was selected by five of them — Jessica Ennis, Sir Chris Hoy, Ben Ainslie, Sarah Storey and David Weir — as the person they would most like to see win the award.

Nicola Adams

NICOLA ADAMS: ‘I would love to see a woman win, so it would be great for Jessica Ennis to be recognised.’

Mo Farah

MO FARAH: ‘I want to win it myself.’

Jessica Ennis

JESSICA ENNIS: ‘I’d love to see Mo Farah because he’s a good friend, but there are the Paralympians too. If you’re really pushing me, I’d have to say Bradley Wiggins because of the Tour de France and the Olympic gold — but only just!’

Rory McIlroy

RORY MCILROY: ‘I’m a big tennis fan so I would like to see Andy Murray win. Andy winning gold at the Olympics was huge, and that was a stepping stone to what he achieved in the US Open. A monkey off his back, a great player and hopefully the first of many Grand Slam titles for him.’

The field for the 2012 award has been extended in recognition of an incredible year of sport. The shortlist was chosen by a panel of respected figures across the world of sport, including Sportsmail’s Head of Sport, Lee Clayton.

The nominees were asked the question, ‘Who would be your Sports Personality winner’ during interviews for this week’s Radio Times.

Wiggins is the bookies’ favourite, ahead of Farah. The middle- distance runner and Ennis trailed Wiggins, with two votes each from among their peers.

Ben Ainslie

BEN AINSLIE: ‘It’s a very tough call, but I would say Bradley Wiggins deserves it most. Before now he’s almost been hidden in the shadows a bit behind Chris Hoy. But this was really his year.’

Katherine Grainger

KATHERINE GRAINGER: ‘This year was all about girl power. Jessica Ennis would be a worthy winner. She’s an all-round athlete at her peak and well deserving of the honour.’

Chris Hoy

SIR CHRIS HOY: ‘It should be Bradley Wiggins, but I say that cringing, because then I think about Andy Murray, then about Katherine Grainger…’

Andy Murray

ANDY MURRAY: ‘It’s been an amazing year for British sport and it’s tough to pick a winner. I hope it will be a celebration of the year as a whole and of what we, as a nation, have achieved.’

Golfer Rory McIlroy is the only person shortlisted not to win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal.

Andy Murray, who is third favourite, made the list after he followed his Olympic gold by becoming the first British male tennis player to win a Grand Slam in 76 years.

After last year’s furore, when not a single sportswoman made the shortlist, five of the 12 this year are female. It is an issue Ennis feels is particularly important.

She said: ‘I’ve had loads of letters from young girls and that’s a really positive thing. They are interested in athletics after watching the Olympic Games. Further down the line we will see what a big impact 2012 had on women’s sport.’

Ellie Simmonds

ELLIE SIMMONDS: ‘I would pick Mo Farah, for his sheer determination and fantastic achievement of pulling off the double gold.’

David Weir

DAVID WEIR: ‘I’d love to see Bradley Wiggins win, but it would be great if someone from the Paralympics was recognised — Ellie Simmonds or myself.’

Sarah Storey

SARAH STOREY: ‘For me, the vote should be behind Bradley Wiggins. To see him win the Tour de France and Olympic double before we started competing inspired us. Just being on the list with him is an honour.’

Bradley Wiggins

BRADLEY WIGGINS: The favourite among his peers didn’t pick a winner, but he did take the chance to have a pop at Lance Armstrong. He said: ‘Lance Armstrong Well, look what’s happened to him. As it stands, I’ve won more Tours than him!’

The Final Count

BBC director of sport Barbara Slater
chaired the selection panel and said: ‘It was difficult to leave off
Olympians and Paralympians of the calibre of Charlotte Dujardin,
Alistair Brownlee, Jade Jones, Sophie Christiansen, Laura Trott, Jonnie
Peacock, Jason Kenny and Victoria Pendleton, to name just a few

‘The panel also reflected long and
hard on the heroics of stars from other sports such as (golfer) Ian
Poulter during the “Miracle of Medinah”, the brilliance of (boxer) Carl
Froch and the “magnificent seven” from champion jockey Richard Hughes.’

The winner will be chosen by a public vote during the ceremony at London’s ExCeL Arena on December 16.

Sir Chris Hoy awarded freedom of Edinburgh

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Olympic legend Hoy awarded freedom of Edinburgh after taking gold tally to six at London 2012

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UPDATED:

18:42 GMT, 16 September 2012

Britain's most successful Olympian Sir Chris Hoy was awarded the freedom of his home city on Sunday.

The six-time gold medal-winning cyclist joined other Olympians and Paralympians on an open-top bus parade through Edinburgh before attending a civic reception where he become part of an exclusive club that includes the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Sean Connery and Nelson Mandela who have received the freedom of the Scottish capital.

Sir Chris changed from his Olympic tracksuit that he wore on the bus parade into a traditional kilt for the private ceremony in the Assembly Rooms where he was presented with the honour by Edinburgh Lord Provost Donald Wilson.

Parade: Hoy joins other Olympians on an open-top bus in Edinburgh

Parade: Hoy joins other Olympians on an open-top bus in Edinburgh

Parade: Hoy joins other Olympians on an open-top bus in Edinburgh

He said: 'I'm immensely proud, but this award is for all the people who have helped me through the years, from the little seven-year-old racing BMXs to racing for Olympic medals in London, it's been an amazing journey.

'It's quite hard to take it all in, it's an emotional day and one that I will never forget.'

The parade is the third celebration Sir Chris has been part of in the last week but he said his home town parade was 'more personal and emotional'.

'It's very emotional to see just what it means to the public, in particular in your home town, to come back to Edinburgh, my home city, and get this kind of support on a day that's not been that kind to us weather-wise, it's just amazing.

'You can't really put it into words what it means but it's our chance to thank everybody for their support.'

Sir Chris was joined on stage by his wife Sara to receive the freedom of the city and former rugby player Gavin Hastings paid tribute to his achievements.

Freedom: Hoy leaves the City Chambers alongside Lord Provost after his civic reception

Freedom: Hoy leaves the City Chambers alongside Lord Provost after his civic reception

Freedom: Hoy leaves the City Chambers alongside Lord Provost after his civic reception

Edinburgh city councillors unanimously voted last month to give the honour to the cyclist. It is granted to people who have distinguished themselves through their work or efforts, or to recognise the respect and high esteem in which they are held by the people of the city.

Sir Chris led the official celebrations for all of Scotland's Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Glasgow on Friday. A parade led more than 50 athletes into George Square where they were introduced one by one to a crowd of around 17,000.

Thousands again turned out in Edinburgh despite heavy rain and Sir Chris took time to sign autographs and talk to the crowd outside the City Chambers before boarding an open top bus that had been painted gold for the occasion.

Sir Chris was born in the Scottish capital in 1976 and was inspired to take up cycling after watching classic movie ET.

Crowded: The rain could not keep fans away from the city centre on Sunday

Crowded: The rain could not keep fans away from the city centre on Sunday

He raced BMX until he was 14-years-old, becoming Scottish Champion and ranking second in Britain and ninth in the world, but he turned his attention to track sprint cycling in 1992 and has never looked back.

Despite the rain the parade started around 2.15pm and took the sportsmen and women from the City Chambers on the Royal Mile to the Assembly Rooms via the Mound and Hanover Street where a post box was painted gold when the cyclist won his first medal of the London 2012 Games.

Meanwhile, a parade was also held in Aberdeen to celebrate Olympians and Paralympians from the north east of the country.

Famous son: Hoy is the most decorated British Olympian ever

Famous son: Hoy is the most decorated British Olympian ever

Famous son: Hoy is the most decorated British Olympian ever

Gold medallists Tim Baillie, Katherine Grainger and Neil Fachie took part in the event on Sunday morning which started at a gold post box at the Castlegate in Aberdeen painted in honour of rower Grainger.

The parade was led by the Portlethen and District Pipe Band, followed by a team of torchbearers, Games Makers and volunteers.

Lord Provost George Adam said: 'North east athletes have really done Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire proud this summer, regardless of whether or not they brought home medals, and the parade is a great way to publicly recognise their achievements and those of our army of torchbearers, volunteers and Games Makers.'

Andy Murray to miss Scotland Olympics victory parade

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Murray to miss Scotland Olympics victory parade days after securing US Open glory

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UPDATED:

11:00 GMT, 14 September 2012

Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray will not attend the official victory parade for Scottish Olympians and Paralympians on Friday.

Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the homecoming celebrations to honour the athletes in Glasgow on Friday.

Organisers said that six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, rower Katherine Grainger, swimmer Michael Jamieson and cyclist Neil Fachie are among the sporting heroes taking part in the parade.

Resting up: Murray has been all-go since winning his first Grand Slam

Resting up: Murray has been all-go since winning his first Grand Slam

However Murray will not attend, sportscotland said.
Murray, however, is looking forward to a return to his hometown on Dunblane this Sunday where the Olympic gold champion and US Open winner will visit family, friends and fans to celebrate his recent triumphs.

The tennis player returned to the UK on Thursday after beating Novak Djokovic to win the US Open.

The 25-year-old Scot, from Dunblane, beat Roger Federer to take the Olympic men's title at London 2012.

His victory at the Games came just 28 days after he lost to Federer in the Wimbledon final.

Hero: Scotland's tennis hero will not appear at Olympics parade in Glasgow

Hero: Scotland's tennis hero will not appear at Olympics parade in Glasgow

Friday's parade will begin at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum at about 4.15pm before moving through the city centre to George Square, where a celebration will be held.

The George Square event is not ticketed and people will be allowed entry until the 17,000 capacity is reached.

Athletes and their guests will then attend a reception hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond in the nearby Old Fruitmarket.

Andy Murray snubs Scotland Olympics victory parade

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Murray snubs Scotland Olympics victory parade days after securing US Open glory

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UPDATED:

22:05 GMT, 13 September 2012

Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray will not attend the official victory parade for Scottish Olympians and Paralympians on Friday.

Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the homecoming celebrations to honour the athletes in Glasgow on Friday.

Organisers said that six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, rower Katherine Grainger, swimmer Michael Jamieson and cyclist Neil Fachie are among the sporting heroes taking part in the parade.

Resting up: Murray has been all-go since winning his first Grand Slam

Resting up: Murray has been all-go since winning his first Grand Slam

However Murray will not attend, sportscotland said.

The tennis player returned to the UK on Thursday after beating Novak Djokovic to win the US Open.

The 25-year-old Scot, from Dunblane, beat Roger Federer to take the Olympic men's title at London 2012.

His victory at the Games came just 28 days after he lost to Federer in the Wimbledon final.

Hero: Scotland's tennis hero will not appear at Olympics parade in Glasgow

Hero: Scotland's tennis hero will not appear at Olympics parade in Glasgow

Friday's parade will begin at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum at about 4.15pm before moving through the city centre to George Square, where a celebration will be held.

The George Square event is not ticketed and people will be allowed entry until the 17,000 capacity is reached.

Athletes and their guests will then attend a reception hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond in the nearby Old Fruitmarket.

London 2012 Paralympics: Daley Thompson – incredible triumph

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SPOTY shortlist will be a long list after another incredible triumph

PUBLISHED:

22:00 GMT, 9 September 2012

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UPDATED:

22:00 GMT, 9 September 2012

I was a Paralympic virgin until 11 days ago. I know people like Tanni Grey-Thompson and 14-time gold medallist Chantal Petitclerc, who has been a mentor to Great Britain’s Paralympics athletics team, but this is the first time I have ever really been interested in it.

I thought, overall, it was an incredible triumph: for the people taking part, the millions who filled our stadiums and those watching at home on TV. The whole event has been an eye opener and I’ve enjoyed watching it.

There have been some extraordinary moments. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist isn’t going to be a short list at all this year. It’s going to have to be a very, very long list; such have been the achievements of British athletes, including Paralympic stars like David Weir, Sarah Storey and Ellie Simmonds.

Bravo: David Weir is one of several Paralympians surely in contention for SPOTY

Bravo: David Weir is one of several Paralympians surely in contention for SPOTY

There is a suggestion there should be a separate award to recognise the achievements of our disabled athletes, but I don’t like the idea of that at all. It would just mean they weren’t good enough to win the original one.

When I was competing I turned down lots of awards — things like ‘The top 10 black people in the world’ — because I didn’t want to be part of that. I wanted to be one of ‘The top 10 people in the world’.

If I was a Paralympian and I had done well in London I would demand to be judged alongside everyone else. If you win then great, but if you don’t at least you’ve been judged on the same terms. That’s why I think it’s OK to say some of the action wasn’t world class.

Everyone's invited: Fans continued to pack into events right until the very end

Everyone's invited: Fans continued to pack into events right until the very end

If we look at Paralympians as sportsmen and women then these are the sort of judgments we need to make.

I thought the T44 100metre final was a great race and a fantastic piece of sporting theatre, but there has been some stuff I haven’t enjoyed. Goalball and boccia left me cold.

I still think a lot of categories are really complicated. I know it’s been explained time and time again and I think Channel 4 did a really good job with their coverage, but I still don’t understand how someone who is missing a leg can compete against someone who has only one arm. Maybe I’m a little bit dim but it seems to be too much based on opinion for my liking.

Star: Oscar Pistorius continued to make headlines as he did at the Olympics

Star: Oscar Pistorius continued to make headlines as he did at the Olympics

Maybe they could separate the categories more, but they certainly need a system that makes more sense to an old decathlete like me.

I enjoyed lots of the track and field but I think the biggest thing was that Oscar Pistorius has at last agreed blades do make a difference.

That’s the elephant in the room, isn’t it

Pistorius’ argument has always been that the blades don’t make a difference and now he’s saying they do. Now I’m mystified as to what the prosthetic legs actually do. It’s a massive talking point and something the IAAF, athletics’ governing body, must address sooner rather than later.

London 2012 Paralympics: David Weir hits back at Jon-Allan Butterworth

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Weir hits back in row over funding after Butterworth claims athletes are 'having a laugh'

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 27 August 2012

Wheelchair racing star David Weir insists Team GB’s Paralympians are serious about improving on their Beijing medal haul after para-cycling world champion Jon-Allan Butterworth claimed too many homegrown athletes are ‘just having a laugh’ ahead of the London Games.

Butterworth, who will be making his Paralympic debut in London, suggested lottery funding for athletics should be scrapped and the money handed to cycling due to Team GB’s poor track-and-field performance in China four years ago.

But Weir, the only member of Team GB’s athletics squad to win medals in Beijing, collecting two golds, a silver and a bronze, insisted the strong showing at last year’s IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand proves the money has been well spent.

Hitting back: David Weir dismissed suggestions athletes don't deserve funding

Hitting back: David Weir dismissed suggestions athletes don't deserve funding

Weir said: ‘Whatever he (Butterworth) wants to say is up to him. The funding we have had after Beijing has helped us win medals. We have got a young team and it wasn’t just me who won gold at the World Championships.

‘The performance in New Zealand shows we have jumped up another level. It showed the world that we are still a force in athletics. ‘Hopefully we can go up another level and perform well at our home games. I am pretty confident that we will.’

The furore caused by Butterworth’s comments prompted him to apologise to his Team GB compatriots.

‘I was ill-informed and was not aware how hard the selection process is in athletics,’ he said in a statement. ‘The team ethos is important to me and I apologise if I’ve upset any of my fellow athletes.’

Claims: Jon-Allan Butterworth

Claims: Jon-Allan Butterworth

Cycling performance manager Gareth Sheppard is also understood to have apologised to his athletics counterpart, Peter Eriksson, for Butterworth’s ill-judged remarks.

‘We don’t want to get carried away with this and let it distract from our preparation,’ he said. ‘There’s always banter between sports and this is no different.

‘We’ve talked to Jon-Allan and he realises how this could be received by other athletes. It was not his intention to make headlines in this way.’

Meanwhile, swimmer Ellie Simmonds, one of Team GB’s Paralympic leading lights, is adamant all athletes have given their all to ensure they perform at their very best on home soil.

‘Everyone says the wrong thing sometimes,’ said Simmonds, who won two gold medals in Beijing aged just 13. ‘Every athlete is determined to go out there and make our country proud.

‘Every athlete has been giving his or her all in training. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go out and get a medal or get a personal best in our home games.’

London 2012 Paralympics: Secrets of boosting revealed

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The secrets of 'boosting' revealed: How some wheelchair athletes cheat the system

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UPDATED:

14:28 GMT, 27 August 2012

To ensure there is no cheating at the Paralympics, officials will be testing not just for the usual banned drugs, but for a practice called boosting, where wheelchair athletes do things like break a toe to cause a blood pressure spike to enhance performance.

In able-bodied athletes, intense physical exercise automatically raises the heart rate and blood pressure. Athletes with a severe spinal cord injury, however, don't get that natural boost.

To get a rapid rise in blood pressure, wheelchair-bound athletes may resort to another solution: inducing a state called autonomic dysreflexia.

That is a reflex that occurs when the lower part of their body is exposed to painful stimuli, like filling the bladder to capacity, using tight leg straps, or sitting on a sharp object.

Cheating the system: Many Paralympians have been caught 'boosting'

Cheating the system: Many Paralympians have been caught 'boosting'

This elevated blood pressure can cause a heart attack or stroke – but since the athletes can't feel it, some think the risk is worth taking. Studies have shown athletes with a spinal cord injury who boost can get up to a 10 percent improvement in some races.

'It's an extreme thing to do and we have to constantly remind athletes it's very dangerous,' said Craig Spence, a spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee.

The IPC banned the practice in 2004 and says it doesn't have evidence boosting is widespread. At the Beijing Paralympics, 37 athletes competing in events thought to be at high risk of boosting were tested. None were positive.

According to a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency, about 10 out of 60 athletes surveyed at the Beijing Paralympics admitted having boosted at a major competition.

Spence said there are only about 100 athletes at the upcoming Paralympics who would benefit from boosting, given their disability and their event.

Cheating the system: Many Paralympians have been caught 'boosting'

'At the end of the day, it's only a handful of athletes who are actually self-harming,' he said.

Spence added that the IPC would conduct blanket testing in sports where athletes might be tempted to boost at the upcoming Games and officials would also examine athletes with symptoms of boosting, like having a red face or sweating before the race.

Athletes found to have high blood pressure will be asked to wait about 10 minutes before being tested again. If their second test is the same, they won't be allowed to race for health reasons. 'There's a limit to how we can test for this,' Spence said. 'We can't really ask people to drop their trousers so we can check there's nothing unusual in there,' he said, noting they have found competitors who stuck pins into their testicles to get the desired effect.

Spence said those suspected of boosting aren't penalized in the same way as those caught doping. 'Their punishment is they can't compete unless they have a doctor's certificate to explain why their blood pressure is high.'

Cheating the system: Many Paralympians have been caught 'boosting'

Some experts have said paralysed athletes may simply accept the health risks of boosting as a necessary cost of victory.

'These athletes don't feel the pain of the injury and the pursuit of elite sport is in some ways already unhealthy,' said David James, a senior sports engineer at Sheffield Hallam University. 'We accept harm in all sorts of sports, like boxing,” James said. “They may think this is just another form of that,' he said.

Others said we shouldn't expect Paralympic athletes to behave any differently than athletes in any other elite sport.

'To assume people in Paralympic sport won't engage in whatever way they can to get an advantage is to put them on a pedestal,' said David Howe, a senior lecturer at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Britain's Loughborough University. 'Just because somebody has an impairment doesn't mean they're a virtuous person.'

LONDON PARALYMPICS 2012: UK Sport want Britain to win more than 100 medals

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No pressure! UK Sport want Britain's Paralympic team to win more than 100 medals

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UPDATED:

11:19 GMT, 17 August 2012

UK Sport have set Paralympics GB the target of winning at least 103 medals from at least 12 different sports, with the overall goal of once again finishing second in the medal table.

Britain's Paralympic campaign for London 2012 has been backed by more than 49million of funding over the last four years, with money being distributed to 18 different sports.

The overall Paralympics GB medal range is set between 95 and 145, with 16 sports targeting podium success.

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Getting ready: Stratford will welcome the world again for the Paralympics

Getting ready: Stratford will welcome the world again for the Paralympics

Britain won 102 medals, including 42 golds, in Beijing four years ago to claim second place for a third consecutive Paralympic Games.

Retaining that position, but winning more medals than in Beijing, is seen by UK Sport as a bold ambition given how competitive the Paralympic Games will be.

Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, said: 'Retaining second place on the medal table for the past three Paralympic Games has been a notable achievement for British athletes, especially given the ever-increasing competitive nature of Paralympic sport worldwide.

'With more countries investing time
and resource into Paralympic sport and therefore contributing to the
medal table, maintaining this standard of achievement in London should
not be underestimated.

'The
collective targets of all the Paralympic sports announced today show us
that our Paralympians are in a great position to deliver more magical
and inspirational performances to keep the overwhelming sense of
national pride in Great Britain at an all-time high.

'Our
Paralympians are among the best prepared and supported in the world;
with cutting edge technology, science and medical support, excellent
coaching, and the support of our enthusiastic home crowds, they are sure
to be a force to be reckoned with on home turf.'

As an indication of the competition
for second place, Britain and the United States in fourth place were
separated by just six gold medals in Beijing.

Britain are expected to deliver
approximately one medal for every hour of competition in the
Paralympics, with between 40 and 50 of them in the swimming pool. The
athletics target is between 17 and 30 medals, with cycling aiming for
between 15 and 23.

Golden moments: Eleanor Simmonds was one of Britain's Paralympic stars to enjoy success at the Beijing Games in 2008

Golden moments: Eleanor Simmonds was one of Britain's Paralympic stars to enjoy success at the Beijing Games in 2008

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, believe the targets set by UK Sport are realistic.

'ParalympicsGB is going into these home Games better prepared through the support of the National Lottery than ever before and we are ready to give everything to achieve our target of second in the medal table,' he said.

'Equally important is the fantastic news that our athletes will be competing in full venues.

'Winning medals in front of an excited home crowd will give us a great platform to help shift perceptions of Paralympic sport and ensure that our athletes get the recognition they deserve.'

The Paralympics begin on August 29 and Baroness Sue Campbell, the chair of UK Sport, believes they will have a profound effect on the country.

'The Paralympians really display what I call the best of the human spirit. You are watching athletic excellence but you are also watching something very special about who we are as people,' she said.

'The Paralympics is an opportunity to change people's mindset about disability sport and about disability.

'If the Olympics gave us an unbelievable sense of national unity and pride, I hope the Paralympics will add to that and I hope it will give us a strong sense of community inclusion and an acceptance of everybody in our society being able to achieve excellence in whatever they want to do.'

VIDEO: Team GB Paralympians aiming for second in medal table

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