Thursday, 6 September 2012

Paralympics day 7 review

Yesterday introduced me to the best that wheelchair sport has to offer.

A lot of wheelchair sports pale in comparison their able-bodied counterparts. Wheelchair basketball, for instance. Although high scoring, multi-talented, fast paced, it's limited.

Once a player is in position for a shot there is no way that a defender can block the attack. No contact rule coupled with the limitations of wheelchair play means when in position, there's nothing a defence can do - and ineptitude in front of the basket is normally why a team loses.

Wheelchair rugby, which is more akin to american football, is totally different. Fast paced, ruthless, a reckless disregard for the fragility of opponents - it has it all.

Thrills, spills, and unbelievable speed.

The mo-hawked warrior, David Anthony, was the stand out performer for me.

Although Phipps and Brown were very, very good at times, Anthony is the kind of athlete that makes you get off your seat and cheer.

In the world of football everyone celebrates Barcelona's 'Catalan carousel' style. And, although most people agree it's the way football should be played, it doesn't quite match up to the excitement that a darting run, pin point pass and rocket goal can bring.

Barcelona's play results in a clap and recognition of fantastically deft play, where a Premier League style gets people off their seats in reverence, excitement.

And that's what wheelchair rugby offers opposed to its rival sports.

The smashes are brutal. Phipps upended an American, illegally I might add, and sent him tumbling across the polished court. He took his punishment - it was an act of frustration - but the American got on with it.

If that behaviour happened in the street it would be deplored, abhorred; rightly so.

But these guys are happy to take the spills to make the thrills even better.

We may have lost to the overwhelming favourites, but we gained another notch in disability sport's widening belt.

Anyone for tennis?

There also needs to be a special mention for Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne - claiming silver in the Men's Quad Doubles.

A lot of the tennis is played from the baseline with lofted returns. But Norfolk, a wizened campaigner, who played tennis before his tragic accident, has the tennis skill and acumen of a able bodied player.

Watching Norfolk charge the net, knowing the exact position is chair would need to be to play his sliced volley winner was fantastic. It was the play of a tennis genius.

To simply get about the court and have a contested, fairly lively game of a tennis is one thing, but to see a leveled game with thrills, spills, lobs, volleys was something else.

Great television, great tennis.


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