Tag Archives: spinal

London Paralympics 2012: Victoria Arlen appeal upheld with reclassification set to go ahead

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Swim queen Arlen's appeal upheld with eligibility reclassification set to go ahead

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UPDATED:

12:59 GMT, 30 August 2012

The fate of double world record holder Victoria Arlen was still unclear on Thursday morning after an appeal against her exclusion from the Paralympics on the grounds of being ineligible for competition was upheld.

The 17-year-old was found to be 'non-eligible' by the International Paralympic Committee after they had received evidence compelling them on Tuesday to assess Arlen, who holds world records in the S6 100 metres and 400m freestyle.

The United States Paralympic Committee's appeal was upheld and it was announced she would be reclassified in the afternoon.

Appeal: Victoria Arlen

Appeal: Victoria Arlen

It will be a two-stage process with assessment today and also
observation of Arlen in competition meaning she will for the moment
remain as an S6 swimmer.

This will see the 17-year-old compete on Saturday against Ellie
Simmonds in the heats of the 400m freestyle with the Briton starting the
defence of one of the two titles she claimed in Beijing four years ago.

Ultimately, though, it could mean that should the IPC find against Arlen, she could compete and then find herself excluded.

Arlen, a former junior state champion, returned to swimming last year
after a neurological virus called Transverse Myelitis affected her
spinal cord in 2006 and left her in a vegetative state for two years,
and set the world records at the US trials in June.

Craig Spence, the IPC's director of media and communications, said 'a
variety of evidence' had been presented to support the re-classification
of all three US swimmers.

But he confirmed Arlenwould be allowed to compete as an S6 swimmer,
which will see her challenge Simmonds in Saturday's 400m freestyle
heats.

Spence said: 'It's likely the classifiers will also want to see Victoria
compete in competition. She was classified on Monday. She was deemed
ineligible. That's when the USPC protested and our board of appeal
upheld that protest.

'She is able to compete as an S6 swimmer until we finalise this process.'
Spence said the arrival of Paralympians into London for the start of the
Games had been the first opportunity to internationally classify some
athletes.

He said 245 athletes had been classified at London 2012 so far, compared with 700 athletes in Beijing four years ago.

Of these, 142 athletes have had their classification confirmed, with 40 class changes.

However this figure may rise as some sports such as wheelchair rugby had yet to be assessed, he added.

London Paralympics 2012: The Beatles Abbey Road album recreated

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Penny Flame! Paralympic torch relay recreates famous Beatles album cover

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UPDATED:

12:55 GMT, 29 August 2012

The Paralympic Flame got a rock'n'roll welcome in north London on its way to the opening ceremony.

Five torchbearers recreated the pose made famous by The Beatles for their 1969 Abbey Road album on the zebra crossing outside the celebrated recording studios.

With Fab Four hits including From Me To You and Day Tripper, it was an appropriate calling point for the relay on the day the London 2012 Paralympics will officially start.

Penny flame: Torch bearers carry the Paralympic flame across Abbey Road, near to The Beatles recording studio

Penny flame: Torch bearers carry the Paralympic flame across Abbey Road, near to The Beatles recording studio

Penny flame: Torch bearers carry the Paralympic flame across Abbey Road, near to The Beatles recording studio

Crowds lined the street, cheered and waved Union Jacks as the proud torchbearers lined up at the crossing in St John's Wood, north west London.

The relay was running about two hours behind schedule, but organisers were hoping to claw back the delay as the torch made its way to Stratford for tonight's showpiece event.

On Thursday four individual flames representing the four home nations were carried into the stadium at Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire – the spiritual home of the Paralympic Games – and one combined torch was carried out, a beacon of the Paralympic spirit.

Despite much of the relay taking place under cover of darkness, thousands of people turned out on a clear and chilly night to watch its journey and cheer on the proud torchbearers.

Working in teams of five, the torchbearers, both disabled and non-disabled, carried the flame from the stadium to the National Spinal Injuries Centre in the village, before bearing it through Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire to Watford and then on to London.

Landmarks: The relay also took in the capital's hotspots like London Zoo and Lords' cricket ground

Landmarks: The relay also took in the capital's hotspots like London Zoo and Lords' cricket ground

Landmarks: The relay also took in the capital's hotspots like London Zoo and Lords' cricket ground

It reached the Shree Swaminarayan Hindu temple in Willesden, Brent, amid cheers and traditional prayers at around 8.30am.

Hundreds
of people waved flags and drums played uplifting rhythms in the morning
sunshine as Antony Eames, 32, from Wokingham, held out a torch on a red
carpet at the top of the temple's staircase.

The flame then made its way towards the centre of the capital, stopping off at the Abbey Road landmark.

As Graham Helm, 38, from Lancashire, paraded the flame across the iconic crossing, the crowds cheered. Mr Helm, registered blind four years ago, was nominated as a torchbearer for his work with young people.

Ria Amiraly, a special needs teacher from St John's Wood, said the atmosphere at the relay had been 'buzzing'.

The 28-year-old said: 'You don't get to see people talking every day to each other like they did today, it was fascinating to be part of it.

'The Paralympics are more important to me because I work with special needs children, I think it's great that people with disabilities are going out there and taking part in sport, it's really important,' she added.

Arvind Devalia, a 41-year-old writer and life coach, said: 'I had to be here, I live just round the corner. I have been waiting since 7.30 this morning and the torch went by fast, but it was well worth waiting for three hours.

'For me it was about the atmosphere and the camaraderie, people were so friendly and chatty and it was such a great vibe.'

After Abbey Road, the torch started on its way towards London Zoo, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.

It will go past Fleet Street, Greenwich and Hackney before arriving at the Stratford Olympics site on Wednesday night.

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.'

Former WBO welterweight champion Williams "left paralysed" after motorbike crash

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Former welterweight champ Williams paralysed from waist down after motorbike crash

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UPDATED:

06:47 GMT, 29 May 2012

Boxer Paul Williams was left paralysed from the waist down by a motorbike accident in Georgia on Sunday.

The 30-year-old American, a two-time former WBO welterweight champion, was thrown from his bike while riding in a suburb of Atlanta.

Tragic: Paul Williams has been told he'll never walk again

Tragic: Paul Williams has been told he'll never walk again

His spinal cord was severed, leaving him with no movement in his legs.

Promoter Dan Goossen said: 'Unfortunately, the news reported is accurate.

'We can only hope Paul is able to overcome his biggest fight in regaining his mobility.'

Williams had been scheduled to fight Saul Alvarez in September, but manager George Peterson said the fighter had been told by doctors he was unlikely to walk again.

Peterson told espn.com: “They're saying he won't walk again or box again.

'Paul is in denial right now. It's been that way with him. You tell him he can't or won't do something, and he wants to prove you different.

'So whatever the doctors say, he's not listening.

'But they say that (walking and boxing) is not going to happen.'

Williams beat Antonio Margarito to claim his first title in 2007, before losing his next fight to Carlos Quintana.

Williams beat Quintana in a rematch before surrendering his title when he moved up to light middleweight, securing the interim WBO crown by defeating Verno Phillips.

The southpaw also fought at middleweight, securing a memorable points victory over future champion Sergio Martinez.

But a subsequent second-round knockout by the Argentinian in 2010, and an unimpressive and controversial points win over Erislandy Lara the following year, saw his stock fall.

The scheduled fight against highly-rated 21-year-old Alvarez, for the WBC light middleweight title, had been seen as a chance for Williams to prove he was still among the sport's elite fighters.

London 2012 Olympics: Mandip Sehmi, Team GB Paralympic rugby exclusive

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Sehmi: Wheelchair rugby saved my life when I was at an all-time low

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UPDATED:

00:51 GMT, 5 April 2012

UK Sport chair Baroness Sue Campbell recently asserted in a Sportsmail interview that sport can change people’s lives, with particular regard to what has been dubbed our ‘corrosive youth culture’.

But to go further than that, anybody can find their life transformed by sport, no matter their circumstance.

At face value this is a far-reaching statement, but one of which the impact is not fully realised unless the point is illustrated. Meet Mandip Sehmi, Team GB Paralympic rugby athlete.

Eye on the ball: Mandip Sehmi is going for wheelchair rugby gold in London

Eye on the ball: Mandip Sehmi is going for wheelchair rugby gold in London

Sehmi suffered a spinal cord injury in 2000 after a car crash. He was just 19 years old. The incident left him paralysed from the chest down.

Now he represents his country at an elite level, something most can only dream of.

‘I grew stronger in myself through sport. I became more independent and could do more everyday living,’ said Sehmi. ‘In 2002 I got to go on a world tour – I went round the world and played wheelchair rugby. It spurred everything on really.

‘The opportunities I get through the sport [are amazing]. From breaking your neck, then two years down the line your life’s been totally changed. You get to meet a lot of good people through it and your general health just goes through the roof.’

Neil Wilson

It took meeting a good person to get Sehmi on the road to where he is now. At the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, he encountered Bob O’Shea, former captain of Team GB’s Paralympic rugby side, preparing for the Sydney Olympics.

‘He used to run a small mocked up version of the game in the hospital,’ explained Sehmi. ‘Of all the activities they have you doing after your first have your injury, it’s one of the ones I enjoyed the most.

‘Bob gave me the number of my local team and said if you’re interested, get involved. I went and finished my uni course off and one day after that I came across this number and remembered wheelchair rugby. I eventually started to go, and started to enjoy it.’

And like that, Sehmi’s life was transformed. /04/05/article-2125372-125B9863000005DC-322_468x286.jpg” width=”468″ height=”286″ alt=”Better together: Steve Brown and his Team GB train at Stoke Mandeville Stadium” class=”blkBorder” />

Better together: Steve Brown and his Team GB train at Stoke Mandeville Stadium

But despite the pride he takes from the Beijing Games, there is a sense of unfinished business as Great Britain finished fourth – just off the podium.

‘It’s the worst place to finish,’ insists Sehmi. ‘Ask any athlete, it’s the worst place to finish in an event. You miss out on a medal and it’s heartbreaking at the time. But it makes you want to train harder and come back better.’

And where better to launch another assault at gold than on home soil The London 2012 Games are never far from Sehmi’s thoughts. With the amount of preparation, training and sheer hard work that goes into ensuring Britain has a shot at gold, they cannot be.

‘An opportunity like this doesn’t come round every day. Once in our lifetime we’re going to have a home Games. It’s so hard to put it out of your mind. It’s everywhere. The media, conversations with your friends and your family. It’s really exciting,’ said Sehmi.

Get me one of those: Sehmi

Get me one of those: Sehmi

‘We still have to go through squad selection so a place is not guaranteed. Every athlete is keeping their head down and working hard. At Paralympic level you have 12 athletes in the squad.

‘We’re down to 11, it’s been whittled down. The coach won’t take any players that are not good enough. You have earn that place and when you get it, it’s a privilege.

‘We’re on the athletics track, in the gym, working on the court. And then we have sessions to analyse tactics. Everything you can imagine and more. Six days a week. Normally with one day off, on Sunday or Saturday. It’s easier to lose fitness than it is to build it up.

The gruelling fitness regime is part and parcel of the position as an elite athlete. People sometimes dismiss Paralympic sports as ‘past-times’ rather than lifestyles, but they could not be further from the truth.

Sehmi, a Liverpool fan, admits he does not get to see his beloved Reds very often, because he is so tied up in training. But being a Paralympic athlete means you must sacrifice more than just your devotion to a football club.

‘I barely get to see family and friends, but it’s part of the commitment of what I do,’ he said. ‘It’s something you choose to do, because not everyone gets the opportunity to do this. You want to give yourself the best possible chance. There’s a medal in sight.

‘I can’t remember the last time I had a drink! It’s all about priorities. There’s gonna be plenty of time for me to go partying and drinking after London, but right now I’ve only got one goal, and that’s to win gold.

‘I don’t think we’ll ever get this opportunity again, it’s just too big to miss. I know my team-mates are working as hard as I am, if you’re not working you’re letting them down.’

Serious business: The sport was documented in the hit film 'Murderball'

Serious business: The sport was documented in the hit film 'Murderball'

The US and Australia are the favourites for gold at the Games, but Sehmi knows that with wheelchair rugby’s fast-flowing nature, upsets are easily caused.

‘The way this game is, anybody in the world can beat anybody,’ he said. ‘It’s so fast, it’s so hard hitting, there’s so many turnovers in the game. There’ll be a favourite but on the day anything can happen. It’s so exciting to watch because of that element of uncertainty.

‘We’re a nation that love team sports like football and rugby, and this is the closest Paralympic sports comes to it.’

Sehmi is keen for others to follow in his wake and as a Cadbury ambassador is delighted the company are contributing towards the Paralympic Potential days, which encourage people with impairments to see if they have what it takes to compete for their country.

‘It’s great to see such a huge effort to increase our chances of medalling in future games. It’s all about finding new talent in the next generation,’ he said.

‘Elite athletes will integrate with new talent. You get the opportunity to meet them and find out about new sports.’

And with some luck – and yet more persistence, drive and determination, they too could follow Sehmi’s path towards the world’s biggest stage. And that is how sport can change lives.

Cadbury athlete ambassador Mandip Sehmi (@mandipsehmi) is helping Cadbury in its support for Paralympic Potential days, where athletes can try out Paralympic sports to see if they have the potential and ability to become one of GB’s future stars.