September 17, 2008

Paralympics: IPC chief praises 'great Games'



BEIJING ( 2008-09-17 13:48:13 ) :International Paralympics chief Philip Craven praised China on Wednesday for staging a 'great Games' while declaring the event largely a success on the drugs front despite four doping cases.

Speaking on the final day of the Games, Craven said the organisation of the Beijing Paralympics had been first class and applauded the hospitality of the Chinese people.

"These have been a very special Games," said Craven, the president of the International Paralympic Committee.

"These Games have been a great Games. I think everybody realises that."The 12 days of the Paralympics have seen huge crowds at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium for the athletics as well as the "Water Cube" for the swimming.

Chinese authorities also made huge efforts to ensure the Paralympics was treated with equal importance to last month's Olympics.

Echoing China's motto for the Paralympics, Craven recognised those efforts.

"I think the two Games have been of equal splendour but with distinguishing features," he said.

Drugs were one of the few issues to tarnish the Paralympics, with four athletes sent home after failing doping tests.

Three out-of-competition doping offences were uncovered in powerlifting but there was not one in-competition case.

Elsewhere, a wheelchair basketball player was sent home by the German team following a positive doping test carried out pre-competition by the German anti-doping commission.

Craven said the results from more than 1,000 doping tests carried out before and during the Games showed the event was "near enough free of doping".

However he expressed some disappointment that there were even just a few violations, vowing to "fight to catch the cheats if they keep showing up at the Games."

Another controversial issue in Beijing had been the classification of athletes. On Sunday, Britain's Rebecca Chin was stripped of second place over a classifying issue in the women's discus.

It followed the banning of Irish athlete Derek Malone from the Paralympics because authorities had deemed him not disabled enough.

Craven said the organisers would seek to prevent similar problems in the future, while stressing classification issues had mostly been carried out ahead of the Games to avoid such controversies.

"There has been a little bit more than we would have liked of classification actually at these Games. We will be looking at that," he said.

Craven also said progress was being made on the re-inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities after they were excluded following the Sydney Games in 2000.

An IPC statement last week said such athletes would likely be able to take part in the Paralympics again from London 2012.

"It's not certain but quite positive that intellectually disabled athletes could come back in," Craven said.

Related Posts by Categories



Widget by Simran

0 comments on "Paralympics: IPC chief praises 'great Games'"

Add your comment. Please don't spam!
Subscribe in a Reader
 

GEO HEADLINES-Latest news and politics updates | Copyright © 2009 | Original Design By Deluxe Themes | Converted To Blogger By Technolizard