Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2000 Issue No. 505
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

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Paralympic pact

IN THE spirit of cooperation bridging both Sydney Games, a landmark "cooperation agreement" between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was signed Friday by the presidents of both governing bodies.

At the Olympic Stadium signing, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch pledged fiiancial assistance and administrative support to the IPC and the Paralympics. IPC President Robert Steadward welcomed the agreement as "an important milestone" for a Paralympic movement forging into the sports mainstream.

Twelve years after the IOC agreed to have the host Olympic organising committees assist their Paralympic counterparts in staging both Games in the same city, the IOC and IPC have now put it in writing.

"For 2008," Samaranch said, "there will be one contract for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games."

The immediate benefits of the cooperative agreement extend far beyond the Games themselves. The IPC president automatically becomes a member of the IOC -- starting with Steadward's election last month -- and the IPC will have representation on 11 IOC commissions. The IOC will pay $1.6 million for IPC administration and development over the next four years, and it will aid Paralympians from developing countries with $250,000 for the 2004 Athens Games and $80,000 for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. Samaranch called the total of nearly $2 million "a quite important figure," especially for a Paralympic movement in need of funds to grow.

More on drugs

DRUGS threatened to overshadow the Sydney Paralympics after it was announced Sunday that two more powerlifters failed pre-Games tests. That raised to six the number of powerlifting drugs cases, with four athletes already banned for four years. They are the first Paralympians to fail drug tests since 1992, although Sydney is the first host city to introduce out-of-competition testing. Sydney organisers conducted 129 doping tests in the week before the 18 October opening ceremony.

Michael Riding, the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) top doctor, said the ratio of positive cases is alarming. "I'm astounded at these results," Riding said. "But it proves that out-of-competition testing is the way to go to ensure that these athletes don't make it to compete at the Games." Powerlifting, judo and field events were targeted in pre-games testing as "high risk" sports, Riding said.

IPC President Robert Steadward said two athletes returned positive urine samples for out-of-competition tests but did not reveal which athletes, nations or banned substances were involved.

Live on Internet

THE SYDNEY Paralympics, unlike that city's Olympics, can be seen live on the Internet. From the opening ceremony to the 29 October closing ceremony, www.wemedia.com is showing video of the Paralympics live daily from 6:30pm to 6:30am EDT. The site has taped highlights 12 hours each day. There are rosters, schedules, athlete biographies, photos and archives.

We Media is also producing taped TV highlight packages for Fox Sports Net (at 11am EDT Friday and 23-27 October) and Pax TV (midnight EDT/PDT through 29 October). There will be a two-hour wrap-up special scheduled to air 31 December on CBS.

For volunteers

THE 15,000 Paralympic Games volunteers will be given one ticket each for the closing ceremony on Sunday, 29 October, in recognition for their valued and dedicated work in making the Games happen.

Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (SPOC) Chief Executive Lois Appleby said the tickets would be in recognition for their hard work during the Games. It would be the $30 or 'C Category' ticket to the ceremony.

Appleby said if any of the Paralympic volunteers had to work at the Games that night and were unable to take advantage of the free ticket, then two Paralympic 'Day Pass' tickets valued at $15 each would be offered to them.

"It is a very simple fact that Sydney could not put on the Paralympic Games without volunteers. And some of those who already worked on the Olympic Games in September are back again in October," Appleby said.

Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Michael Knight said the public, media, the IOC, and athletes were full of praise for the Olympic volunteers, adding they deserved it.

Action screens

TWO GIANT 30-square-metre video screens were placed at Martin Place and Darling Harbour to broadcast the Paralympics from Sydney Olympic Park. "The screens will be ideal for people working in or visiting the city and will ensure that everyone can keep up with all the action as it happens," said Lois Appleby, chief executive of the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee.

Repair works

A MAJOR facility in the Paralympic Games is the prosthetic and wheelchair repair centre. The vast majority of Paralympians would not be able to compete successfully without it, especially those from Third World countries, who come to upgrade their prosthetics or wheelchairs. The centre, located in the Paralympic Village, also makes general repairs on cracked or broken prosthetics and wheelchairs.

Lend me a horse

UNLIKE Olympic competition, where competitors spend years working with their own horses, Paralympic dressage riders compete on borrowed horses drawn from a pool. Most owners stay with their horses during competition. Athletes will have ridden them for only four to six days before the competition and will have trained with the horse for only one hour a day. Competitors in equestrian competition use whatever parts of the body they can to direct their horse.

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