First Paralympic SchoolDay in Greece p. 6

INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC DAY HITS TOWN

INSIDE

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Torino 2006Tickets Now onSale p. 2

Candidates forIPC GoverningBoard p. 5

Athens 2004Sport ScienceResearch p. 11

African Women’sLeadershipSummits p. 11

London to Host2012 ParalympicGames p.12

SPIRIT IN MOTION

PARALYMPIANTHE Official Newsletter of the International Paralympic Committee

Co-ordination Commissionin Beijing p. 2

IPC/IAKS Distinction forAccessibility p. 6

© Photo: IAKS© Photo: Mathilde Dusol

Round up of EuropeanChampionships p. 8

© Photo: IPC© Photo: BOCOG

© Photo: IPC

the public throughout the day. Local stars, includ-ing the RSV Lahn-Dill and ASV Bonn WheelchairBasketball teams, Holgar Nikelis and Selcuk Cetin(Table Tennis), Axel Hecker (Biathlon), Ester Weber-Kranz (Wheelchair Fencing), Sitting Volleyballteams Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Spid Sarajevo,wowed the crowd in demonstrations and matches.Afterwards, players offered coaching to IPDvisitors who could then participate in fun matches.

In his closing speech, President of the InternationalParalympic Committee (IPC) Sir Philip Craven said:'I'd like to thank the people of Bonn for turning outin such great numbers to support Paralympicsport. We've seen some great athletes today.Come back in 2007 and we will be here again."

The IPC hosts an IPD every two years, to augmentawareness and visibility of Paralympic sport and tobring sports for persons with a disability closer tothe public. The event was covered by around 50journalists, photographers and broadcasters.

In the context of the United Nation's initiative"International Year of Sport and PhysicalEducation", the German Ministry of Interior is oneof the main sponsors of the IPD 2005. The daywould not have been possible without the supportof all the sponsors, who enabled the IPC to makeParalympic sport "World-class in Bonn".

The central market place in Bonn, Germany, camealive on 27 August, as a crowd of over 30,000people gathered to experience the 2005International Paralympic Day (IPD). The IPC host-ed the event, offering visitors a chance to experi-ence live Paralympic sport, to meet Paralympicathletes and to see how sport unites people.

The highlight of the day was the Long Jumpcompetition. Five world class athletesdemonstrated their amazing speed and power to apacked crowd, as they attempted to break thecurrent world records on a long jump pit purpose-built for the IPD. The longest jump of the day wentto upper limb amputee Anton Skachkov (UKR)with a distance of 6.80m.

In the F44 class, Marlon Shirley (USA), worldrecord holder and gold medallist at the ATHENS2004 Paralympic Games, jumped a distance of6.61m, followed by Xavier Le Draoullec (FRA) with5.36m. In the F42 class, world record holderWojtek Czyz (GER) jumped 6.12m, followed byHeinrich Popow (GER) with 5.21m.

Said Popow: "In 1992, the day before my leg wasamputated I walked on the Marktplatz. Today,back on the Marktplatz, I was given an opportuni-ty to show the people of Bonn that life continues.It was really emotional and gave me goosebumps!"

A variety of Paralympic sports were showcased to

Toi 2006 Registers 40,000Volunteers

Paralympic Games to Open in Style

The election of the host ofthe 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games wascertainly a highlight and athrilling experience. Fivestrong candidates battlingto become the one andonly; it was a close racethat remained exciting upuntil the very end. I amcertain that with London,we have found a new

dedicated partner in the OrganizingCommittee and a city and country that willbe proud to host Paralympic athletes andsport.

We can now begin to ponder which of theseven 2014 bid cities will becomecandidates and ultimately the host of theParalympic Winter Games. But before weturn our full attention to 2014, we haveTorino 2006 and Vancouver 2010 to lookforward to on the calendar of WinterParalympics. The restructuring of the Torino2006 Organizing Committee and thecreation of the Torino ParalympicCommittee, COMPARTO, will hopefullysecure for the Games the attention andresources that they deserve.

In September, the first ParalympicWorkshop takes place between theVancouver 2010 Organizing Committee andthe IPC. This is an excellent opportunity fortransfer of knowledge and was alreadysuccessfully carried out with the Beijing2008 Organizing Committee in June. You willfind more details about the BeijingWorkshop in this issue.

These past months have seen a largenumber of regional championships in manysports. I continue to believe that the bestambassadors for our Movement are theathletes. I am therefore pleased to see thatthere has been a lot of activity and opportu-nities for athletes to showcase themselvesand Paralympic sport around the world.

With this in mind, and to raise awareness inthe city where the IPC Headquarters arebased, the IPC organized the secondInternational Paralympic Day at the end ofAugust in Bonn, Germany. Over 100 nation-al and international athletes and mediajoined us in this endeavour and brought sixsports closer to more than 30,000spectators, proving what ‘Spirit in Motion’ isall about.

Last but certainly not least, we haveelections to the IPC Governing Boardcoming up. A total of 32 nominations wereput forward by the membership. You willfind an overview of all the candidates onpage 7. I am confident that the largenumber of nominations will allow for stimu-lating elections in November in Beijing.

As this will be my last editorial in TheParalympian during my first term of office, Iwould like to thank all of you for making theParalympic Movement what it is today, andfor inspiring and exciting me. I hope that Ihave been able to give some of that inspira-tion and excitement back!

Paralympic SportInspires

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Sir Philip Craven, MBEIPC President

PARALYMPIC GAMES: TORINO 2006

Torino Tickets Now on SaleOn 30 May, the ticket sales campaign forthe Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Gameswas launched. About 200,000 tickets willbe available to the general public.

Within Italy and the European EconomicArea (EEA), tickets can be purchasedonline (www.torino2006.org/tickets) orthrough the Ticketing Call Centre (in Italy,848-88-2006, outside Italy, +39-3983-8250)with operators prepared to handle anyneeds of persons with a disability.Throughout Italy, tickets can be purchasedat bank branches of the Sanpaolo Group.Elsewhere, tickets can be purchasedthrough National Paralympic Committees insome countries.

For most Paralympic events, tickets will bepriced at EURO 12. Concession ordiscounted ticket prices are available forchildren aged two to 14, the elderly (agedover 60), persons with a disability andgroups of more than 20 people. Schools willbenefit from specific programmes run bythe Torino 2006 Organizing Committee

(TOROC) to involve students in the eventsand to allow them to view the competitions.

Ticket prices for the Opening Ceremonyrange between EURO 30 to 80 (EURO 20 to50 for concessions). For the ClosingCeremony two ticket categories are availableat EURO 50 and EURO 30 (EURO 30 andEURO 20 for concessions). Tickets for theIce Sledge Hockey Final will cost betweenEURO 14 and EURO 30.

The Torino 2006 Organizing Committee(TOROC) announced that around 40,000applications have been submitted for theNoi2006 Volunteer Recruiting Programmefor the Olympic and Paralympic WinterGames next year.

Of the 40,000, around 14,000 applicantsapplied to help during the Paralympics.Around 7,000 volunteers will be trained toassist with the Torino 2006 ParalympicWinter Games in everything from sport,transport, medical services to medals.

The application process closed on 31 July2005, however, some volunteers (withspecial language skills, etc.) will have thepossibility to register (www.noi2006.org)until the end of 2005.

TOROC Volunteers Director Antonio

Romani stated: "Men and women of all ageshave responded to our appeal withenthusiasm and the strong desire to be partof this unique and unrepeatable event. Theywant to contribute to the success of Torino2006 and of their country, and they lookforward to helping the athletes, the specta-tors, the tourists and all the visitors who willbe coming here for the Olympic andParalympic Games."

Of the applicants, 56% are men and 44% arewomen, mostly between the ages of 18 and34 and with a higher school diploma. Forty-one per cent of the volunteers are students,37% are employees, and 16% are pensioners.Around 22,000 of the applicants arepermanent residents of Torino or the Piemontregion. From the remaining 18,000applicants, 60% are Italian and 40% comefrom foreign countries.

From 30 June to 1 July, the IPC ParalympicGames Liaison Committee (PGLC) met withthe Torino 2006 Organizing Committee(TOROC) to receive an update on thestatus of the organization of the Torino2006 Paralympic Winter Games. At thismeeting the location of the OpeningCeremony was confirmed for the formerStadio Comunale (location of the OlympicGames Opening Ceremony).

The TOROC Board of Directors approved

the creation of COMPARTO (ComitatoParalimpico Torino), a new legal entity that willprovide increased financial resources andgovern the organization of the Torino 2006Winter Paralympics. COMPARTO iscomprised of stakeholders from the City ofTorino, the Region of Piemonte and theProvince of Torino and is chaired by TizianaNasi, President Paralympics of the Torino2006 Organizing Committee. TOROC willcontinue to be responsible for the operationalmanagement of the Paralympic Games.

Said François Terranova, PGLC Chairperson:"With the inclusion of representatives fromeach of the local authorities, COMPARTO willensure that the Paralympic Games receiveincreased commitment at all levels and willprovide an important means to furtherpromote the Games. We look forward tofinalizing the details, to then give our authori-zation."

Good progress was seen in all areas present-ed by TOROC, eg, sport, venue management,image, transport, technology, press opera-tions, medical services and NPC relations.The PGLC also approved the look of thecompetition medals, which will be unveiled inthe next months.

Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake 2002Paralympic WInter Games.

© Photo: IPC

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2001, the IOC Co-ordination Commissionhas visited annually. From 2005 until theBeijing 2008 Olympic and ParalympicGames, visits will take place twice eachyear, with the next meeting planned forNovember 2005, during which theCommission plans to visit the Sailingvenue in Qingdao.

From 6 to 7 June, following theCo-ordination Commission visit, the IPCheld a series of workshops with BOCOGas part of the Olympic GamesKnowledge Services (OGKS) WorkshopProgramme. These workshops allowedthe IPC to transfer knowledge on theorganization of the Paralympic Games.

The IPC gave presentations on severalareas, including Paralympic GamesManagement and Planning, sports,accessibility, venue operations, GamesServices, media, image and branding, andcommunications, to more than 250 BOCOGstaff. Several smaller side meetings also tookplace between IPC and BOCOG staff, givingan opportunity for a more detailed transfer ofknowledge on specific subjects such as sportcompetition venues, Paralympic village, mediaoperations and technology.

Said Tang Xiaoquan, BOCOG Executive Vice-President: "This is a really valuableopportunity for transfer of knowledge. Allparticipants, I believe, have truly enrichedtheir minds. Through the Paralympic Gameswe will leave a successful legacy for Chinaand the whole world. Our aim is to leave animportant civil legacy to Beijing and all ofChina; to change people's attitude towardspersons with a disability."

PARALYMPIC GAMES: BEIJING 2008

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Commission Measures Progress Towards 2008

PARALYMPIC GAMES: VANCOUVER 2010

Members, including IPC President Philip Craven,participate in a venue tour in Beijing, China.

From 31 May to 2 June 2005, the fourthmeeting of the IOC Co-ordination Commissionfor the Beijing 2008 Olympic and ParalympicGames took place in Beijing, China.

The Co-ordination Commission toured theOlympic and Paralympic venues and metmembers of the Beijing 2008 OrganizingCommittee (BOCOG) to assist BOCOG andobserve the progression of work in the lead-up to the Games in 2008.

As a member of this Commission, IPCPresident Philip Craven participated in themeeting and presentations. "Teamwork hasbeen the essence of the fourth IOC Co-ordi-nation Commission Meeting. Synergiesbetween IOC, BOCOG and IPC were veryevident - this bodes well for incredibleParalympic Games in 2008," said Mr. Craven.

Since the election of Beijing as host city in

Breaking Ground

An artists impression of the Beijing 2008Olympic and Paralympic Village.

With major venue construction now wellunderway, the Vancouver OrganizingCommittee for the 2010 Olympic andParalympic Winter Games (VANOC) hasannounced a goal of making Games venueconstruction sites a model for safety andhealth through creating a formal partnershipwith WorkSafeBC, the Workers'Compensation Board.

"As athletes strive for higher levels ofexcellence on the field of play at the Olympicand Paralympic Games, we will strive toachieve the highest standards of health andsafety for workers at all 2010 Gamesconstruction sites and all venues during theGames," said John Furlong, VANOC CEO.

The Vancouver 2010 vision is that the focuson safety for the Games will act as a catalystfor continual improvement in health and safetyperformance across British Columbia. "Theattention on the building of venues and hostingthe Winter Games gives us an opportunity tocreate awareness and showcase a new modelof workplace safety," added Mr. Furlong. "Thissafety focus can be a legacy of preparing forand staging the Games."

The concept will also be implemented for allGames employees and volunteers. At Gamestime, VANOC expects to employ an estimated1,200 full-time employees and up to 35,000volunteers at 15 competition and trainingvenues and dozens of non-competition sites.

Excellence in Safety

(From left to right) Canadian skeletonathlete Duff Gibson, Paralympian BrianMcKeever and biathlete Robin Cleggwith VANOC CEO John Furlong.

© Photo: BOCOG

© Photo: BOCOG

BOCOG has begun construction on its majorbuilding projects. On June 26, the foundationstone was laid for the Olympic and ParalympicVillage. The Village is expected to house 7,000people during the Paralympic Games. TheVillage covers a total area of 66 hectares. Theresidential area will include 22 six-floorbuildings and 20 nine-floor buildings. It will alsobe equipped with a general clinic, restaurants,a library, a recreation center and other leisureareas. The Village lies at the north end ofBeijing, nearby many landmarks including theForbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and theOlympic Green. The construction is scheduledto be finished by the end of 2007.

On 28 May, BOCOG held a ground-breakingceremony for the National Indoor Stadium,attended by Liu Qi, BOCOG President andWang Qishan, Beijing Mayor and BOCOGExecutive President. The Stadium is theproposed competition venue for WheelchairBasketball during the Paralympic Games andhas a seating capacity of 18,000. After theGames, the Stadium will become a first-classfacility for the local people, with both sportscompetition and entertainment functions.

Horses to Hong Kong During the 117th IOC Session in Singapore,held from 6 to 9 July, the InternationalOlympic Committee (IOC), the InternationalFederation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) andthe Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee(BOCOG) agreed on the relocation of theEquestrian venue from Beijing to Hong Kongfor the Olympic Games in 2008. The IPCconsequently agreed to move the ParalympicEquestrian competition to Hong Kong. Themove is based on the best interests of thecompetition and the well-being of the horses.

Jonquil Solt, International ParalympicEquestrian Committee (IPEC) Chairpersonemphasized: "As a satellite venue on this

occasion, it will be paramount for the IPC toensure that the Beijing 2008 Equestriancompetitions keep strong connection to theoverall atmosphere of the broader Games, inparticular for the athletes. However, havingseen the facilities that will be developed forthe event in Hong Kong, I am confident that itwill be an excellent competition” Shecontinued:.

“The IPEC will work very hardtogether with BOCOG to make the

Equestrian events of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

the best ever.”© Photo: Getty Images

years, were able to practice a wide variety ofParalympic sports and adapted physicalactivities, such as Athletics, Boccia, Goalball,Sitting Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball.Almost all of the sport sessions were lead byformer or active Paralympic athletes,providing excellent knowledge on therespective sport and serving as role modelsfor the pupils. In addition, sessions wereconducted to allow the students to experiencedifferent areas related to Paralympic sport ordisability, such as the Paralympic Games,classification, accessibility and human rights.

Currently, the PSD partners, coming fromBelgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece,Latvia and Sweden, are implementing five'Paralympic School Days' in elementaryschools in each of their respective countries.At the third and final conference in March2006, the collected data, materials and expe-rience will be presented, analysed and evaluat-ed. This evaluation will provide the core infor-mation and content for the final PSD manual.

PyeongChang (Republic of Korea),Salzburg (Austria), Sochi (Russia) andSofia (Bulgaria).

These cities will now take part in anextensive selection process. The IPCand IOC will participate in a BriefingSeminar with all seven cities from 27 to30 September, in Lausanne,Switzerland, during which the IPC willmake a presentation to the cities andparticipate in a question and answersession.

In June 2006, following a thoroughreview of each city's potential toorganize the 2014 Games, the IOCExecutive Board will select which cities

will become Candidate Cities. In early 2007, allCandidate Cities will be required to submittheir Candidature files to the IOC and will beassessed by the IOC Evaluation Commission,who will publish their report in June 2007. TheIPC will also review the files and make theirrecommendations to be considered by theCommission. The final decision will be made inJuly 2007 at the 119th IOC Session inGuatemala City, Guatemala.

Caroline Wincza (DeutscheWelle) spoke to IPC ChiefExecutive Officer, XavierGonzalez, to get his reactionfrom the news that Londonwill host the Olympic andParalympic Games in 2012.

How does the IPC feel about London win-ning the bid to host the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games?Xavier Gonzalez: We are very satisfied.Fortunately we had very good bids for theParalympic Games and for the first time wecould say that the IPC was very pleased withall bids. This was seen not only in the level ofdetail in the operational planning but also inthe commitment of all the bid committees tothe Paralympic Games. In some way wewould have been happy for any of the bidsto win, however London and Great Britainhave a long history within the ParalympicMovement and will provide a great opportuni-ty for the further promotion and growth ofthe Movement.

Do you think London can promote and main-tain public interest with the ParalympicGames?XG: I think that London has already shownthat the Paralympic Games, the ParalympicMovement and sport for athletes with adisability were a very important element oftheir bid. We believe that working with themover the next seven years will ensure thatthe Games in 2012 are a milestone in theincreasing awareness of the ParalympicMovement, not only in Great Britain butacross the world.

The Paralympic Games and the ParalympicMovement have a long history in Britain, isthis reassuring for the IPC?XG: It's a very important history for us and itis very reassuring to know that in the UK,there is a lot of interest in sport for personswith a disability. There is also a lot of expert-ise in Paralympic sport and this makes it avery good place to have the ParalympicGames.

In what way will the city of London be ableto create a unique and exciting ParalympicGames event?XG: Clearly the London bid understood thelong term goals of the IPC, especially in termsof increasing awareness and positioning theParalympic Games as a value added to theoverall experience of the Olympic Games. Webelieve that London 2012 wil become thefinal model of what the organization of theOlympic and Paralympic Games should beboth on paper and in practice. I think that thiswill be the great legacy of the London 2012Games.

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IPC NEWS

IPC CEO on London 2012

PARALYMPIC GAMES: BID CITIES 2014

Paralympic School Day Launched in Greece

Students of Serres Elementary School participate in the first Paralympic School Day.

From 18 to 22 May 2005, the secondconference within the framework of theParalympic School Day Project (PSD) tookplace in Thessaloniki and Serres, Greece. Theproject is co-ordinated by the EuropeanParalympic Committee (EPC).

The PSD, which was made possible by agrant from the European Commission, aims toraise awareness and understanding towardspersons with a disability, from a young age,through the framework of elementaryeducation. A focal point of this multiculturalproject is to change the attitudes of youthtowards persons with a disability and providea tool for elementary school teachers.

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, oneof the partner organizations, hosted the con-ference, which included the first 'ParalympicSchool Day' in the 5th and 13th ElementarySchool of Serres.

During the half-day 'Paralympic School Day'about 220 school children, aged six to twelve

In early June, the International OlympicCommittee (IOC) launched the CandidatureAcceptance Procedure for the Olympic andParalympic Winter Games in 2014. Sevencities have been appointed by theirrespective National Olympic Committees(NOCs) to apply to host the 2014 Olympicand Paralympic Winter Games. The cities, inalphabetical order, are: Almaty (Kazakhstan),Borjomi (Georgia), Jaca (Spain),

© Photo IPC

2014 on The Horizon

© Photo: IPC

© Photo:Lieven Coudenys

The Paralympic School Day mascot.

From 24 to 25 June, the European ParalympicCommittee (EPC) held its General Assemblyand Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Themeeting was attended by 35 members, morethan 2/3 of the EPC membership.

Elections for the new EPC ExecutiveCommittee (EC) were held, selecting EnriqueSánchez-Guijo Acevedo (ESP) as thePresident, Luca Pancalli (ITA) as SecretaryGeneral, Gerard Masson (FRA) as Treasurer,Oksana Matiyash (HUN) as the TechnicalOfficer and Ioanna Karyofylli (GRE), RatkoKovacic (CRO), Tanni Grey-Thompson (GBR)and María Odete Fiuza (POR) as Members atLarge. A new Athletes' Representative will beappointed in the near future. For the first time,

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REGIONAL NEWS

European Matters

Attendees of the 2005 EPC General Assembly on the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

the Committee has secured gender balanceand a majority of the EC (six of nine) areParalympians.

Among other matters, the EPC finalized itsmotions to the IPC General Assembly (GA) tobe held in November this year and selectedcandidates for the IPC Governing Board andrecommendations for the IPC StandingCommittees.

An EPC Conference was also held in conjunc-tion with the GA and focused on three keyissues: athletes with a severe disability,women in sport and EPC MembershipServices, which will form the basis of the workof the new EC over the next four years.

© Photo: Croatian Sports Federation for the Disabled.

On 16 August, IPC President Philip Cravenmet with the President of the FederalRepublic of Germany, Dr. Horst Köhler at theVilla Hammerschmidt in Bonn, Germany.

During the meeting, Mr. Köhler offered hispersonal support for the work of theParalympic Movement and expressed hisongoing commitment to do all he could tofurther Paralympic sport, both in Germanyand on the world stage.

At the meeting, Mr. Craven presented Mr.Köhler with the Paralympic Honour, a medalgiven to those outside of the ParalympicMovement, in recognition of the outstandingcommitment, given by both the people ofGermany and Mr. Köhler personally, to further-ing the Paralympic values.

President Köhler Meets President Craven

IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez, Mrs. Köhler,President Köhler and IPC President PhilipCraven.

© Photo: Bundesregierung/Grabovsky

A total of 32 nominations have been put for-ward for the IPC Governing Board (GB). Outof the 32 nominations, one is for President,five for Vice President and 26 for theMember at Large positions. The elections willtake place on 19 November in Beijing, China,at the 2005 IPC General Assembly.

These will be the first elections to the GB,which replaced the IPC Executive Committeelast year in November, following recommen-dations of a strategic review and acceptancethereof by the IPC membership at theExtraordinary General Assembly.

The GB will consist of one President, oneVice President and ten Members at Large, allof whom will be elected in Beijing.Furthermore, an Athletes’ Representativeand the IPC Chief Executive Officer (CEO)will be ex-officio members of the GB.

The nominees, listed in alphabetical order, areas follows:

For President: Sir Philip Craven (GBR)

For Vice President: Dr. York Chow (HGK), Ms.Ann Cody (USA), Mr. Vital Severino Neto,(BRA), Mr. Miguel Sagarra (ESP), Dr. NabilSalem (EGY).

For Member at Large: Mr. Zainal Abu Zarin(MAL), Mr. Masoud Ashrafi (IRA), Mr. MichaelBarredo (PHI), Mr. Jose Louis Campo (ARG,Dr. York Chow (HGK), Ms. Ann Cody (USA),Mr. Bernard Courbariaux (FRA), Mr. PauldePace (USA), Mr. Alan Dickson (GBR), Mr.Greg Hartung (AUS), Mr. Patrick Jarvis(CAN), Mr. Johnson Jasson (TAN), Mr.Chrispen Manyuke (ZIM), Mr. Rachid Meskouri(ALG), Mr. Karl Vilhelm Nielsen (DEN), Mr.Robert Price (GBR), Dr. Karl Quade (GER),Mr. Radu Rosenthal (ISR), Mr. Ilgar Rahimov(AZB), Mr. Miguel Sagarra (ESP), Dr. NabilSalem (EGY), Ms. Robyn Smith (AUS), Mr.Valeriy Sushkevych (UKR), Mr. Pal Szekeres(HUN), Mr. John Teunissen (NED) and Mr.Shen Zhifei (CHN).

“We are pleased with the number of nomina-tions that the membership has put forward tothe Governing Board; and it is encouraging tosee the interest from a wide representationof IPC members," said IPC CEO XavierGonzalez. ”This shows the vitality of theParalympic Movement, moving into this newera and it demonstrates again one of thebiggest assets of the organization - thecommitment of its volunteers.”

New Governing Boardto be Elected

CRAVEN CHOW CODY SAGARRA SALEMNETO ABU ZARIN ASHRAFI BARREDO CAMPO

COURBARIAUX DEPACE DICKSON HARTUNG JARVIS JASSON MANYUKE MESKOURI NIELSEN PRICE

QUADE ROSENTHAL RAHIMOV SMITH SUSHKEVYCH SZEKERES TEUNISSEN ZHIFEI

IPC NEWS

THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 3: 2005

The IPC recentlylaunched a newfeature on theIPC website: theOnline DonationSection.

With this section,the IPC offerssupporters theopportunity tocontribute to theP a r a l y m p i cMovement. Withthe money raised,

IPC aims to fulfil its vision "to enableParalympic athletes to achieve sporting excel-lence and inspire and excite the world." TheIPC's goal is to promote the talents andachievements of Paralympic athletes as ashowcase for the potential of persons with adisability to be full and active members ofsociety. Funds will be used for a variety of

IPC/IAKS Honour AccessibilityThe awards will be presented during the 19thInternational IAKS Congress on 26 October inCologne, Germany.

The IPC/IAKS Distinction was awarded to thefollowing seven facilities (shown to the right):

Your Chance to Play a Part

A jury composed of international expertsfrom the IPC, the International OlympicCommittee (IOC) and the InternationalAssociation for Sports and Leisure Facilities(IAKS) has selected the winners of the 2005IOC/IAKS AWARDS for exemplary sports andleisure faciliites.

For the first time, 54 of the submitted entriesalso applied for the 'IPC/IAKS Distinction forAccessibility' jointly sponsored by IAKS andthe IPC. This distinction pays tribute toaccessible facilities that allow persons with adisability to freely view and practice sport.

IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez said: "TheIPC/IAKS Distinction provides us with anopportunity to honour the great work beingdone worldwide to ensure sports and leisurefacilities are accessible for persons with adisability. We hope that, through our ongoingco-operation with IAKS and increasing aware-ness of accessibility issues, the field ofnominees will continue to grow."

The IOC/IAKS AWARD is the only architec-ture award of international importance forexisting sports and leisure facilities. This year,93 teams of operators and designers from 25countries took part in the competition, whichwas a new participation record. The IPC wasrepresented on the jury by Mark Todd ofGreat Britain.

The jury awarded eight gold, seven silver andseven bronze medals, seven IPC Distinctionsfor Accessibility and five Special Distinctions.

programmes, including sports development,education and communication campaigns.

IPC President Philip Craven stated: "In orderto be able to fulfil its mission and mandate, theIPC is counting on the financial support of thegeneral public and in particular of the friendsof the Paralympic Movement. I believe that thepeople who know us best, and who believe inthe goals of the Paralympic Movement, are theones best placed to contribute. Every little bithelps, so a donation of any size will beappreciated. I am delighted that, with thelaunch of our Online Donation Section, the IPCis now able to receive these contributions fromsupporters around the world in an easy, user-friendly manner. The IPC looks forward toreceiving your contribution, and we thank youfor helping us spread the word."

If you would like to donate to the ParalympicMovement, please visit the IPC homepage(www.paralympic.org) and click ‘Donate’.

City of Manchester Stadium inManchester, Great Britain (Architect:Arup Associates, London)

Sport and leisure facility in Stattegg,Austria (Architect: Hohensinn ArchitekturZT GmbH, Graz)

Cottonera Sports Complex in Cospicua,Malta (Architect: Emanuel ButtigiegProject House, Works Division, Malta)

Aquatic Centre in Ozarów, Poland(Architect: ATJ Architekci Sp. Z.o.o.,Warsaw)

Scottish National Swimming Academy inStirling, Great Britain (Architect:FaulknerBrowns Architects & UrbanDesigners, Killingworth, Newcastle uponTyne)

Hintertux Glacier Ski Lift in Hintertux,Austria (Architect: Seilbahnbüro Gröbner,Kitzbühel)

Curling Arena in Prag, Czech Republic(Architect: Glenn architekti, IvanaKubeskova, Jiri Trojan, Prague 10,Vrsovice).

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The 2005 IPC Athletics Open EuropeanChampionships came to an end on Sunday,following eight days of exciting competition,which saw a total of 20 European and 12World records fall.

From 17 to 28 August, in Espoo, Finland, 715athletes from 35 European countries and 13countries outside Europe came together atEspoo's refurbished Leppävaara Stadium.

From an organizational perspective, Espoo2005 was a pioneering event as FinnishAthletics, the Finnish Paralympic Committee,the IAAF World Championships 2005Organizing Committee, the City of Espoo andthe Athletics Clubs of Espoo, all collaborated

to ensure the event was a success. For moreinformation and a full list of results, please visitwww.espoo2005.fi.

The competition came only a week after the10th International Association of AthleticsFederations (IAAF) World Championships inAthletics, in Helsinki, from 6 to 14 August. Fourexhibition events for athletes with a disabilitywere held as part of the Championships.

The men's 100m and 200m (T54) wheelchairexhibition events were won by David Weir(GBR), the men's Javelin (F54) by JacquesMartin (CAN) and the women's 200m (T11) byAdria Santos (BRA).

© Photo: Mathilde Dusol

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

IPC Athletics Showcased in Finland

From 22 June to 1 July, the Men's EuropeanWheelchair Basketball Championships tookplace in Paris, France. The Italian teamdefeated Great Britain in a close game(56:54) to win the gold medal and Swedenwon the bronze over Israel (54:52).

The top five teams (France, Great Britain,Israel, Italy and Sweden) have now qualifiedfor the World Championships to be held from3 to 16 July 2006 in Amsterdam, theNetherlands.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS CONT.

Sitting Volleyball

Cycling

Equestrian

Shooting

Wheelchair Basketball

© Photo: Angelika Trabert

© Photo: Pöpping

© Photo: IPC Shooting

© Photo: IWBF

Boccia

The 2005 IPC Cycling Open EuropeanChampionships were held from 11 to 21August, in Alkmaar, the Netherlands. GreatBritain emerged as the leading country withten gold medals. Australia, Germany andSpain followed with good results andconfirmed their status as the top Cyclingcountries in the world. Spain won the mostmedals overall with a total haul of 25.

Over the eight days of competition, more

than 320 athletes from 33 countries partici-pated in road and track events. Athletes andofficials were particularly pleased with theorganization which was made possible byaround 100 volunteers.

Track ompetitions were held in the AlkmaarVelodrome, while road races took place inSchermer. For a complete list of results pleasevisit www.j-r-c.com/cycling/index.htm.

© Photo: Miguel Ferreira

More recently in the 2005 World JuniorChampionships, the USA dominated in thefinal against Japan (73:34) to take the Goldand Australia beat the British home team(61:38) to win Bronze. The championships,held in Birmingham, Great Britain, from 6 to 14August involved teams from 12 countries.

The IWBF has a very full calendar of upcom-ing events. For more information, please visitwww.iwbf.org.

One of the premier events on the IPCEquestrian calendar, the 2005 IPC DressageEuropean Championships was held from 26 to31 July, in Sóskút, Hungary.

Based on their combined scores, the Britishteam (of Sophie Christiansen, Nicola Tustain,Lee Pearson and Debbie Criddle) took theEuropean team title by bringing home a totalof four gold, two silver and three bronze

medals. The German team took silver, closelyfollowed by Norway. Croatia and Slovakia alsowon equestrian medals for the first time.

Among the exceptional performers were 17year-old, Christiansen (GBR) Bettina Eistel(GER) and Ann-Cathrin Lübbe (NOR) who eachtook two gold medals. Lee Pearson (GBR),who is classified in Grade One (b), also wontwo silver medals in Grade Three.

The Polish city of Wroclaw recently hosted arecord number of athletes, competitng in the2005 IPC Shooting Open EuropeanChampionships. From 3 to 10 July, a total of181 athletes from 33 countries made thistournament the best attended in the historyof IPC Shooting. The competition welcomedfor the first time the NPCs of Cyprus,Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia andMontenegro and Ukraine.

The falling targets event was debuted andwon by Blaz Beljan (CRO, Pistol) and FranciPinter (SLO, Rifle), who also won the 3x40Free Rifle. Other standout performers includ-ed Isabel Newstead (GBR) who claimed twogold medals and a new world record. In hisfirst competition, Serge Malishev (RUS) wasnamed Best Rookie after he won silver in the50m Free Pistol and made the final in theSport Pistol.

Host country Portugal emerged victorious atthe 2005 Cerebral Palsy InternationalRecreation and Sports Association (CP-ISRA)Boccia European Championships held inPóvoa de Varzim, Portugal, from 12 to 19June. This event included a record 121athletes from 18 countries.

In the individual competition finals, class BC1was won by José Vaquerizo (Spain), BC2 byFernando Ferreira (Portugal, the featured

athlete in this issue of The Paralympian), BC3by Santiago Pesquera (Spain) and BC4 byBruno Valentim (Portugal). The Pairs BC3competition was won by Portugal and thePairs BC4 by Hungary. Portugal also won theteam competition (BC1/BC2).

An International Boccia Committee (IBC)International Referee's Accreditation Coursewas also held in conjunction with the event.

The town of Leverkusen, in Germany,recently hosted the European SittingVolleyball Championships from 20 to 26 June.Twelve men's and five women's teams from14 countries participated in the competition.

In the women's final, the Netherlands beatLithuania (3:1) to become the EuropeanChampions and Slovenia beat the Ukraine forthe bronze medal.

Meanwhile, in the men's competition, therewas a repeat of the final of the ATHENS2004 Paralympic Games as once againBosnia-Herzegovina beat the hosts Germany(3:0) to take the men's title. Russia alsoousted Croatia for the third place honours.

All teams are now focussing on the upcomingWorld Championships to be held in July 2006in the Netherlands.

© Photo: Prezioso

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8THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 3: 2005

SPORTS NEWS

ATHLETE PROFILE

Teams Vie For Cup

One of the star athletes at the recentEuropean Championships was Portugueseteam captain, Fernando Ferreira, who tookgold in both the individual (BC2) class and theteam event.

Ferreira is one of Portugal's most successfulParalympic athletes. At the international level(including five Paralympic Games, four BocciaWorld Championships and numerous WorldCup and European Championships), he hascollected three gold, five silver and fourbronze individual (BC2) medals and six gold,two silver and four bronze team medals. ‘TheParalympian’ spoke to Ferreira about hisrecent success and the upcoming challengesthat await him.

The Paralympian: Can you tell us how you gotstarted in Boccia? Fernando Ferreira: I grew up in Ferreira deAves, Sátão, a mountain area at 45km fromthe city of Viseu, in Portugal. In 1985, when Iwas undergoing physiotherapy treatments, Iwas introduced to Boccia and since then Ihaven't stopped.

TP: What is your competition schedule like atthe moment?FF: So far this year, I have competed in fournational competitions and the 2005 BocciaEuropean Championships. At the moment,everything is focussed on the 2006 BocciaWorld Championships.

TP: Are there any competitions that reallystand out for you?FF: The Paralympic Games are always thegreatest challenge. You are competing againstthe most elite athletes in the Boccia worldand I find it is much more difficult to stay onthe top than to reach it.

TP: What kind of training is involved?FF: I do daily physical, technical and mentaltraining and weekly psychology training toprepare for my competitions.

TP: When was your first Paralympic competi-tion? FF: My first Paralympic Games were in Seoulin 1988. At that time I was 17 years old and Iwon an individual bronze medal and the goldmedal in the teams event. That determinedmy career and my life.

TP: What are your expectations/goals for2005?FF: Well, so far I have already won the mainNational Championships and both theEuropean Championships Individual BC2 andTeams. I could not expect better. So, for 2006I have to expect a similar performance as Iwork towards the World Championships.

TP: What makes Boccia such a unique sport?FF: Boccia allows accuracy, intelligence andself-control. Playing this sport also encour-ages me to be the best I can be and makesme feel stronger and more confident.

TP: What advice would you give to other peo-ple with a disability considering taking upBoccia?FF: The sensation of being recognized as atrue athlete, the respect and sometimes theadmiration we get from others, the pleasure ofplaying, the self control and self esteem wecan obtain are more than enough to bepassionate about the sport. I love thechallenge of the game itself, there arethousands of possible plays and the feeling ofachievement that you get that lets you knowall the dedication, self control and traininghave paid off.

This year, the Netherlands hosted its secondInvacare World Team Cup in the city ofGroningen, from 19 to 26 June.

2005 was the second year in which the men'scompetition was staged in a two-divisionformat. Following a series of single anddoubles matches, Japan and the Netherlandsmet in the final. Shingo Kunieda (JPN) andRobin Ammerlaan (NED) both won theirsingles matches, but Ammerlaan and RonaldVink (NED), supported by an army of fans inorange, overcame the Japanese in thedoubles competition. In World Group 2, bothHungary and Italy will be promoted to WorldGroup 1 for the 2006 Invacare World TeamCup in Brazil.

In the women's competition, the Netherlands,met Korea in the final. World champion EstherVergeer (NED) beat FESPIC Games goldmedallist Hong Young Suk (KOR), while JiskeGriffioen (NED) outclassed Park Ju Yeon(KOR). The Dutch women have now claimedthe Invacare World Team Cup trophy 18 timesin the history of the competition.

Pool A of the quad competition was dominat-ed by the USA duo of David Wagner and NickTaylor. In the final, the USA met undefeatedPool B winners Israel. Taylor (USA) triumphedover Ido Fridman (ISR) and world number oneWagner (USA) defeated Shraga Weinberg(ISR), to become the second country (alongwith Israel) to win the Quad trophy three timesin its eight year history.

Belgium and Australia emerged top of thejunior pools, but Mike Denayer and JoachimGerard (BEL) outclassed the Australians,Richard Engles and Michael Esler, in straightsets.

The Chilean men's team received the Team ofthe Year Award from ITF President FrancescoRicci Bitti and the title sponsor Invacare, waspresented with an award of recognition tomark the tenth anniversary of their sponsor-ship of the event. Mr. Ricci Bitti alsopresented Sue Wolstenholme from the BritishTennis Foundation with the prestigious BradParks award, the highest internationalrecognition in Wheelchair Tennis.

Mike Denayer (BEL) in action at the 2005Invacare World Teams Cup.

A True Athlete

2005 IPC Archery World Championships 25 September - 3 October 2005 Massa Carrara, ItalyTorino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games 10 - 19 March 2006 Torino, Italy2006 IPC Shooting World Championships 12 - 22 July 2006 Sargans, Switzerland2006 IPC Athletics World Championships 2 - 10 September 2006 Assen, Netherlands2006 IPC Table Tennis World Championships 22 September - 2 October 2006 Montreux, Switzerland2006 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport WC 13 - 14 October 2006 Arnhem, Netherlands2006 IPC Swimming World Championships 27 November - 9 December 2006 Durban, South Africa

IPC SPORTS CALENDAR

© Photo: PCAND

© Photo: Rien Hokken

TP: How is the sport governed?AMV: Wheelchair Fencing is governed by theInternational Wheelchair & Amputee SportsFederation (IWAS). The IWFC is made up ofrepresentatives from the countries widelypracticing Wheelchair Fencing.

TP: How does Wheelchair Fencing differ fromother Fencing competitions?AMV: Athletes in Wheelchair Fencing have aphysical disability, such as a leg amputation ora spinal injury, which means they competewhile sitting in a wheelchair. The chairs areattached to a special frame that preventsthem from rolling.

Apart from that, the rules, the sportsequipment and the competition systems arethe same as for Olympic Fencing, just thepiste is a different size and the sanctions orpenalties due to irregular movements are notpossible in Wheelchair Fencing.

TP: What is the appeal of Fencing?AMV: It is an individual sport where bothopponents can be evenly matched inspeed and technical skill, but there is acertain amount of intelligence needed towin. It is just like having the physicalpreparation of an athlete and the intelli-gence of a chess player. It requires goodconcentration, quick reflexes and co-ordination.

TP: Which are the leading countries? AMV: For the last few years, the coun-tries that have had the most successare Hong Kong, Poland, France andrecently China.

TP: What developments have beenmade in Wheelchair Fencing recently?AMV: Apart from the continuousimprovement of the Frame apparatus,the most important development is the

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SPORTS PROFILE: WHEELCHAIR FENCING

All on the TableA total of 126 athletes from ten NPCsrecently participated in the 2005 IPC AsiaOceania Table Tennis Championships in KualaLumpur, Malaysia. The event, held from 16 to23 June, brought together athletes fromAustralia, Bangladesh, China, Chinese Taipei,Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, Korea,Thailand and Malaysia.

The event also hosted the first InternationalParalympic Table Tennis Committee (IPTTC)Technical Delegates Seminar, which allowedfive participants to become trained as LevelA Technical Delegates.

As is tradition at IPC Table Tennis competi-tions, all players, officials and staff vote forthe players of the year. The players of theyear for the region were Lina Lei (CHN) in the

women's standing, Yang Ge (CHN) in themen's standing, Ai Gug (CHN) in the women'swheelchair and Young-Gun Kim (KOR) in themen's wheelchair.

A month later, athletes from nine countriestravelled to Mar del Plata, Argentina, not forthe sun and the beach but for the 2005 IPCParapanamerican Table Tennis Champs, heldfrom 16 to 22 July. A total of 115 athletescompeted in individual and team events in avariety of classes.

This year's players of the year for the regionwere Giselle Muñoz (ARG) in the standingwomen's, Tahl Leibovitz (USA) in the standingmen's, Marta Makishi (ARG) in the wheelchairwomen's and Giovanni Rodriguez (CRC) in thewheelchair men's.

SPORTS NEWS

© Photo: Lieven Coudenys

Wheelchair Fencing was one of the earliestsports practiced by persons with a disability.It has a long history and a growing appeal.‘The Paralympian’ spoke to Chairperson ofthe International Wheelchair FencingCommittee (IWFC), Mr. Alberto MartinezVassallo, to find out more.

TP: What is the history behind the sport? Alberto Martinez Vassallo: The first display ofWheelchair Fencing took place at the StokeMandeville Games in 1954. Sir LudwigGuttmann (the founder of the ParalympicGames) was an enthusiastic fencer andintroduced it into the sports programme atthe Stoke Mandeville Centre.

The sport was later developed in France andItaly and the first international competitionwas organized in 1955 in Stoke Mandevilleunder the rules and regulations of sportsreserved for athletes in wheelchairs. After thefirst Paralympic Games in Rome, 1960, theRegulations of the International FencingFederation were adopted.

World Cup series that allows athletes to com-pete in the two years prior to the WorldChampionships or Paralympic Games. When anathlete reaches the Games, they have beenclassified based on their partici-pation at a min-imum of eight international competitions.

TP: Can you describe the competition duringthe ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games?AMV: Although it is a sport that is not easy tocomprehend for beginners, at the ATHENS2004 Paralympic Games the atmosphere andrivalry between the athletes and their followersmade the venue very exciting. This was helpedby the performance of the referees, whichhelped to make the competition understand-able to the public.

TP: In which areas do you see a need forfurther development?AMV: It is necessary to develop WheelchairFencing in regions such as South America,Africa and the Middle East. To do so, we hopeto hold international courses for Fencingmasters, referees and classifiers and work topromote the sport in these target regions.

© Photo: Nico Verspeelt

© Photo: Lieven Coudenys

"Like the IAAF, IPC Athletics is staging thisevent as a prelude to holding a full-scale WorldIndoor Championships in future years. Stagingit in Sweden, with the support of the SwedishNPC (SHIF), and the Swedish DevelopmentCentre for Disability Sport (SUH), we are con-fident that this will form the foundations of asuccessful Championship series in the future."

The World Indoor Games is an IPC competi-tion, which offers events for all classes.Limitations on the number of events per classare based on the number of entries in the lastoutdoor championship competition.

During the competition, an international

research group will set up different biome-chanical analysis units for the throwing, jump-ing and running events. IPC Sport ScienceCommittee Chairperson, Professor YvesVanlandewijck commented: "This approachwill serve the athletes in providing feedbackabout their current performance and guide-lines on how to adjust their training to optimizeperformance. Second, the interrelationshipbetween performance, functional potentialand technique will be studied and will con-tribute to the understanding of track and fieldevents and the consequent development ofan appropriate classification system."

For more information please visit www.suh.se.

The IPC Athletics World Indoor Games is thefirst global indoor IPC Athletics competition.The World Indoor Games will be held from 22to 27 March 2006 in Bollnäs, Sweden, andwill complement the existing outdoorChampionships by offering a world-classcompetition during the winter season.

Said IPC Athletics Chairperson, Chris Cohen

New Initiative in Athletics

place with 38 gold medals; and ATHENS 2004,Spain took seventh place, with 71 medals. TwoParalympic Winter Games have also takenplace: in Nagano 1998, Spain came in theseventh place with eight gold medals, and SaltLake City 2002, Spain was 12th with sevenmedals. In its short history, the Spanish NPChas devoted all its efforts to increase theprestige achieved by Spanish athletes.

TP: Please tell us about the new initiative theSpanish Paralympic Committee is launchingthis year.MS: On 27 June 2005, we launched the'Paralympic Sport Support Programme'(ADOP) at the residence of the President ofthe Spanish Government. The Programme willbe initially provided with EURO 7.285 million forthe preparation of elite Spanish athletes for theBeijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The Presidentof the Spanish Government, José LuisRodriguez Zapatero, praised the SpanishParalympic athletes for their success in Athensand pledged his support for the programme.

The President of the Spanish NPC, Jose MariaArroyo, commented that this Programmemeans "a new responsibility, the responsibilityof meeting our commitments, achieving goodsport results and of returning to our society,and especially to our ADOP sponsors, themaximum benefits and satisfactions". Theevent was also attended by representatives ofthe sponsoring companies and a group ofabout 70 Spanish athletes who participated inthe ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games.

TP: What are the expected outcomes of thisprogramme?

It was recently announced that the SpanishNational Paralympic Committee (NPC) willreceive EURO 7.3 million in funding to run anew initiative entitled the Spanish 'ParalympicSport Support Programme'. The Paralympianspoke to Secretary General of the SpanishNPC, Miguel Sagarra, to find out more aboutthe Programme and the growing support forParalympic sport in Spain.

The Paralympian: What is the background ofthe Spanish NPC?Miguel Sagarra: The Spanish NPC is a youngorganization; founded in 1995. Later, in 1998,the Law on Sports recognized the NPC in thesame way as the Spanish OlympicCommittee, making us the co-ordinating bodyfor sports for athletes with a disability inSpain.

With the creation of the NPC, sports forpersons with a disability in Spain developed amore stable structure which includes the fivefederations of sport for athletes with a disabil-ity, representatives of the Ministry of Workand Social Affairs, the Ministry of ExternalAffairs, the Sports Council, the SpanishOlympic Committee, and the ONCEFoundation. Our Honorary President is HerRoyal Highness Princess Elena.

TP: What are your main roles as a Committee?MS: The essential goals of the Committee arethe development and improvement of theParalympic Movement and sports, theencouragement and direction of sportpractice, the strengthening of the Paralympicideals, the spreading of the main principles ofsport as an instrument for peace andsolidarity. We also ensure the protection ofsport ethics according to the Anti-DopingCode, and promote of the values of co-opera-tion and justice, against discrimination insport.

TP: How has the Committee enabled athleteswith a disability in Spain to achieve on theworldwide sports stage?MS: Since the creation of the Spanish NPC,three Paralympic Summer Games have takenplace: at Atlanta in 1996, Spain was fifth inthe medal tally, with 106 medals, including 39gold; in Sydney 2000, Spain came in fourth

THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 3: 2005

NPC PROFILE: SPAIN

IBSA NEWS

New Team Takes the Helm

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Outgoing President Enrique Perez picturedhere with the new IBSA President MichelBarredo and Vice President Serafín Lizoaín.

MS: The main goal of the Programme is toprovide the economic, human and materialresources (grants, sport equipment, interna-tional competitions, etc) for the athletes tocompete in the best conditions possible. It willcome into effect in September 2005,concluding in September 2008, after theParalympic Games in Beijing.

The ADOP Programme is currently support-ed by Fundación Telefónica (EURO1,805,000 over four years), the ONCEFoundation (EURO 800,000), El Corte Inglés,Grupo Leche Pascual and ACS (EURO600,000 each) and Caja Madrid and Iberdrola(EURO 500,000 each).

The Programme is also supported by anumber of grants from the Spanish SportsCouncil and the Ministry of Work and SocialAffairs, providing EURO 940,000 each. Inaddition, the ONCE Foundation also providesthe five Spanish federations with EURO 1.2million per year.

The ADOP Programme will benefit all Spanishathletes, not only those who are alreadyachieving high-class results but also a handfulof young athletes who are expected tosucceed at the next Paralympic Games. It willalso benefit coaches, doctors, physiothera-pists, psychologists and technical staff,whose contribution is essential. Overall,around 400 people will directly profit fromthis Programme, but indirectly it will help toincrease the prestige and worldwide recog-nition of the athletes and Spanish Paralympicsport.

At the 7th International Blind SportsFederation (IBSA) General Assembly held inBeijing, China, from 8 to 12 June, a newExecutive Committee for 2005-2009 waselected. The new team is:

President: Michael Barredo (PHI)Vice President: Serafín Lizoaín (ESP)Secretary General: Michel Bertezene (FRA)Treasurer: Silvia Aldini (ITA)Technical Director: Antonio Menescal (BRA)Medical Director: Georges Challe (FRA)Africa Delegate: Reynolds Permal (MUS)America Delegate: David Farias (BRA)Asia Delegate: Radha Krishnan (MAL)Europe Delegate: Antonio Neves (POR)Oceania Delegate: Ray McLeod (NZL)Member at large: Weimin Teng (CHN)Member at large: Oral Miller (USA)Member at large: Frances Candiru (UGA)Member at large: Neil O'Donovan (IRE)

Almost fifty member countries, representingall five continents, attended the assembly,

making it one of the largest in the history ofIBSA. The assembly also approved theinclusion of Archery as an official IBSA sport,bringing the total number of sports IBSAoffers visually impaired athletes worldwide to15.

The 1st World Blind Sports Conference wasorganized to take advantage of the gatheringof the IBSA family. At the conference, over100 participants took part in plenary sessionsand workgroups to discuss issues such asIBSA's role in the new IPC structure, buildingand developing IBSA as an international feder-ation, classification, anti-doping and IBSA'sWorld Championships and Games. Plans arealready afoot to repeat the Conference atfuture assemblies.

Outgoing IBSA President Mr. Enrique Pérezwas granted the Victor Ludorum award,IBSA's highest award given to people whohave made a significant contribution to thecause of blind sports worldwide.

€7.3 Million for Spanish Paralympians

© Photo: Spanish Paralympic Committee

© Photo: IBSA

On 11 June, Her Majesty(HM) Queen Elizabeth IIannounced that IPCPresident Philip Craven,has been appointed aKnight Bachelor. Sir Philipwas made a KnightBachelor on the Queen'sBirthday Honours List,adding to the Member ofthe Order of the British

Empire (MBE) he received in 1991.

The Knight Bachelor is granted by HM TheQueen and entitles the person bestowed withthe Knighthood the use of 'Sir'. It is one of theoldest forms of chivalry in the British system.

Sir Philip stated: "This honour from HM theQueen recognizes the groundbreaking workundertaken by the Paralympic Movement, itssports, nations, regions, founding federationsand staff."

Sir Philip was awarded the Knighthood "forservices to Paralympic Sport". The officalceremony will take place at BuckinghamPalace in early October.

François Terranova, mem-ber of the IPC GoverningBoard, was elevated inJuly, to 'Officier de laLégion D'honneur', by thePresident of the FrenchRepublic, Jacques Chirac.The honour is one of themost prestigious Frenchawards to recognize signif-icant contributions to the

nation. Mr. Terranova was Honorary GeneralInspector of the French Ministry of Youth andSports and an Advisor to the French Ministerof Sport. He was a Technical Officer of theFrench NPC, for the International SportsOrganization for the Disabled (ISOD) and forthe Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games, aswell as the General Secretary of theOrganizing Committee for the 1992Paralympic Winter Games.

Greg Hartung, Presidentof the AustralianParalympic Committee(APC) and member of theIPC Governing Board, wasappointed to the Board ofthe Australian SportsCommission (ASC). TheASC is the AustralianGovernment sportsagency, providing nation-wide programmes and

funding. Mr. Hartung was the first GeneralManager of the ASC, from 1984 to 1988, andreturned to the Commission as a Board mem-ber from 1991 to 1995. He has been thePresident of the APC since 1997 and is cur-rently also a member of the IPC GoverningBoard and President of the IPC RegionalOrganization for Oceania.

Luca Pancalli, Presidentof the Italian NPC, wasrecently elected VicePresident of the ItalianOlympic Committee. Mr.Pancalli, a lawyer by pro-fession, competed inSwimming at theParalympic Games, from1984 to 1996. From1988 to 1992 he was a

parliamentary collaborator, working on vari-ous bills on disability issues. He was electedPresident of the Italian Sports Federationfor the Disabled (FISD) in 2000 and becamethe first President of the newly formedItalian Paralympic Committee in early 2005.

Pierre Claver Rwaka, VicePresident of Marketingand Communication forthe Rwandan NPC wasrecently elected as sec-ond Vice President of theRwandan OlympicCommittee. Mr. Rwaka hasbeen involved with theNPC since its formation in2000, on the Committee

and as a Chef de Mission for the Rwandandelegation to Sydney and Athens. He is alsoan Executive Committee member of the IPCRegional Organization for Africa, the AfricanSports Confederation of Disabled (ASCOD).

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APPOINTMENTS

MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC

Women In Sport UpdateDEVELOPMENT

ATHENS Research - Part I

Prior to the ATHENS 2004 ParalympicGames, four research studies were approvedby the IPC Sport Science Committee. Withthe assistance of the ATHENS 2004Organizing Committee (ATHOC), these stud-

ies were completed during the Games. Overthe next four issues of the Paralympian wewill provide a summary of each of the studies.In this issue of the Paralympian, we will look atthe research conducted by Lee Nolan,Benjamin Patritti and Kathy Simpson, whichmade a biomechanical analysis of the take offphase in athletes with a below-the-kneeamputation in the High Jump.

In this study, an analysis of the take-offtechnique of athletes with a below-the-kneeamputation was carried out on two athletescompeting in the men's High Jump finals atthe ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games. Twodigital video cameras were used to film theevent with the data later digitized and recon-structed. Some similarities with non-amputeeHigh Jump technique were noted in that thecentre of mass height was low at touch-down(TD), there was a similar reported magnitude

of negative vertical velocity at TD, and mostof the vertical velocity generated occurred inthe first half of the take-off phase. However,both athletes exhibited a slower horizontalapproach velocity, a more upright leg positionat touch-down followed by a greater range ofhip motion throughout the take-off phase, anda lower positive vertical take-off velocity com-pared to what is known about non-amputeehigh jump technique. These differences maybe associated with taking off from the pros-thetic limb on the last stride and understand-ing why these differences occur has implica-tions for coaching and improving technique.

While it is not possible to generalize these find-ings to all jumpers with a below-the-kneeamputation, this study has provided someinsight to the techniques displayed by a groupof elite athletes not previously studied.Although the technique of any jumper with abelow-the-knee amputation demonstratessome unique characteristics due to differinglevels of amputation, strength, ability andprosthesis used, these two athletes exhibitedsome shared kinematics that also differedfrom what is known about non-amputee highjump technique. These observations provide afirst insight to understanding the mechanismsunderlying below-the-knee amputee HighJump technique.

Sir Philip Craven

To address the low participation rates of girlsand women in Paralympic sport, the IPC hasheightened its commitment to achievinggender equity. From 17 to 19 August 2005,the first of two IPC Women in SportLeadership Summits took place in Niamey,Niger. This summit was held in French forFrench speaking African countries.Representatives of seven French speakingAfrican countries participated in the Summit.

Through the summit, participants receivedinformation about political leadership, policydevelopment, education, sport developmentand disability service delivery. The major out-come is an action plan for the region to effec-tively incorporate women into Paralympicsport. All participants were provided with a'Women in Sport Toolkit', produced by the IPC,to provide background information and action-able steps to implement in each country.

A second Summit will be held in English, forEnglish speaking African countries, from 2 to4 November 2005 in Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania. A total of 15 African NPCs will sendrepresentatives to one of the summits.

The WIPS Summits are designed to bridge theexisting gaps in opportunities for girls andwomen with a disability in Paralympic sport.Ultimately, it is hoped that this initiative willbuild individual and organizational capacity atboth the national and regional level, and devel-op a network of 'Women in Paralympic Sport'(WIPS) leaders who will enable countries andsports to provide sport and recreationprogrammes that foster participation of girlsand women in Paralympic sport worldwide.

UK Sport has provided funding for onerepresentative from each African NPC toattend the summits.

Members of the IPC Women in SportCommittee at their meeting inCopenhagen, Denmark, from 27-29July.

© Photo: IPC

© Photo: Mathilde Dusol

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Climbing some of the world's highestmountains is something most people can onlyimagine. Yet from 27 May to 25 June a groupof Slovak women braved the peaks ofSiguniang Shan (6,250m) during the 'China -Tibet 2005 Women’s Expedition', supportedby the Slovak Paralympic Committee.

The expedition included ten women, six able-bodied and four with a physical disability,bringing together experience from some ofthe world's most daunting mountains.

Despite bad weather conditions, ninemembers of the expedition succeeded in

climbing to the peak of Siguniang II(5,454m) on 7 June. This marked theclimax of an ambitious expedition thatalso included climbing Siguniang I,traversing the valley under Siguniang III

Impr int

Editor: Miriam Wilkens

Assistant Editor - Graphic Design:Clare Wolfensohn

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All rights reservedInternational Paralympic Committee, 2005ISSN 1609-1329

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MISCELLANEOUS Paralympic Fair PlayHonouredAnd the Winner is...London!

Women Reach New Heights

The International Committee for Fair Play(CIFP) has honoured a number of membersof the Paralympic Family in the 2004 FairPlay Awards.

Betsy Alison (Sailing, USA) and the GermanNPC received a Fair Play Diploma in thecategory 'Promotion of Fair Play', theBrazilian Paralympic Equestrian Team of2004 received a diploma in the category'Act of Fair Play' and Table Tennis athleteCristina Hoffmann Torres (MEX) received a'Sport Career' diploma.

Letters of Congratulations in the category'Act of Fair Play' were given to Equestrianrider Lee Pearson (GBR), sailor KeithBurhans (USA) and sailor Paul McCarth(IRE). Radu Rosenthal (ISR) also received aletter in the category 'Sport Career'.

CIFP is a prestigious organization co-found-ed by International Committee for SportsScience and Physical Education (ICSSPE)and the International Sports PressAssociation over 40 years ago.

and returning through the valley fromChamping to Rilong, where they distributedhumanitarian aid. While weather stoppedthem from reaching the main peak, the teamachieved the first expedition of the year andthe first women's expedition in history ofSiguniang Shan Mountain.

© Photo: Slovak Paralympic Committee

© Photo: London 2012

On 13 July, the 13th ESPY Awards were heldin Los Angeles, USA. Erin Popovich(Swimming) took the title of ‘Best FemaleAthlete with a Disability' and Marlon Shirley(Athletics) was awarded 'Best Male Athletewith a Disability'.

The other nominees for the awards wereCheri Blauwet (Athletics), Karissa Whitsell andKatie Compton (Cycling), Paul Martin (Cycling)and Rudy Garcia-Tolson (Swimming).

The ESPY Award was created by ESPN in1993 and is given to athletes for excellence insports performance each year in 34categories. The winners were chosen throughan online vote on the ESPN website.

ESPY Winners 2005

© Photos: Getty Images

On 6 July, at the 117th International OlympicCommittee (IOC) Session in Singapore,London (Great Britain) was elected to be thehost city of the 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames.

Attending the Session in Singapore,IPCPresident and IOC member, Philip Cravensaid: "The quality of all the bids was very highjust like the content in each presentationabout the Paralympics and this is particularlysatisfying for the Paralympic Movement. Ofcourse, I am pleased that my home country,

Great Britain, carried off the big prize, but I amconfident that any of the five cities wouldhave put on great Paralympic Games."

Following four rounds of voting by IOCmembers, London eventually triumphed bytaking 54 votes from a possible 104.Candidate cities competing for the right tohost the 2012 Games were (in order of draw-ing of lots): Paris (France), New York (USA),Moscow (Russia), London (Great Britain) andMadrid (Spain).

London 2012 Chairperson Lord SebastianCoe confirmed later that he will take up therole of Chairperson of the London 2012Organizing Committee for the Olympic andParalympic Games and London 2012 ChiefExecutive Officer Keith Mills will becomeDeputy Chairperson. Work on the London2012 Games will begin immediately and atransition team of around 50 people hasalready been put in place to ensure keypriorities are addressed while the OrganizingCommittee is established.

London 2012 aims to deliver accessible andinclusive designs for all facilities, maximizemedia coverage and strengthen theParalympic Movement. It will strive to provideconditions that enable all athletes to competein an environment of excellence, friendshipand enjoyment. As Mr. Coe stated: "We set outa vision in Singapore and we are now calling onall relevant agencies in the UK to work with usto deliver it. This is about inspiring more youngpeople to become involved in sport and givingthe young athletes the help they need tobecome champions of the future."

London 2012 Promotional campaign featuringBritish Paralympian Ade Adepitan.

Sailors at the ATHENS 2004 ParalympicGames cleary demonstrated their Fair Play.