Ireland will be represented by a 45 strong team across nine sports at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games which get underway with the opening ceremony on Sept. 6th in the famous Bird's Nest Stadium. The Irish team comprises ten track and field athletes, four cyclists (with two sighted pilot riders), one Archer, four Boccia players (a form of bowls for athletes with severe physical disabilities), a team of twelve footballers, six swimmers, five sailors, two Table Tennis players, and one Dressage rider. The Paralympic Games are elite Olympic style sports events for elite athletes with physical disabilities, or visual impairment, emphasising athletic achievement rather than disability. The Paralympic movement has grown dramatically since its first days. The number of athletes participating in Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 athletes from 23 countries in Rome in 1960 to over 4000 athletes, from over 153 countries across twenty sports will compete at the Beijing Games. Athletes compete in various classes of competition and are classified according to their disability. Classification is simply a structure for competition. Not unlike boxing or rowing where athletes are categorised by weight classes, athletes with disabilities are grouped in classes defined by the degree of function presented by the disability. The team at 45 in number is the biggest Irish team since the Atlanta Games in 1996. The increase in team size represents a significant achievement by the Paralympic Council of Ireland (PCI). It is in contrast to that of other western nations who are facing reductions in team size as a result of the escalating number of nations competing at the Games, leaving qualification places at a premium. The Paralympic team is fully integrated into the Irish Sports Council's elite support systems. Over €4.28 million has been invested in Paralympic sport over this Paralympic cycle (2005 - 2008) through direct support to athletes under the International Carding Scheme, through core support, and the performance planning programme which funds team training and competition, including a whole team preparatory familiarisation camp last year in Beijing. The Irish team departed for the Chinese capital on August 24th bound for their pre Games holding camp at the Loong Palace Hotel and Resort. They will move to the Paralympic Village on Sep 1st with the opening ceremony of the Games on Sep 6th. Track athlete Patrice Dockery, in her sixth Paralympic Games will be the Irish flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Competition begins on Sep 7th and runs for ten days. The Irish team will return home on Sep 19th.
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Paralympic Media Guide
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Links
The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games
Paralympic Council of Ireland
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