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AJCOT · 03-09-2012, 21:05

Why are there so few Yanks at the Paralympics? Just curious on this one.

Pherekydes · 03-09-2012, 22:36

They have the third biggest team behind the hosts and China. The UK also had the largest team at the Olympics.

Pisco Sour · 03-09-2012, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pherekydes

They have the third biggest team behind the hosts and China. The UK also had the largest team at the Olympics.

Yet they are only 6th on the medals table and you dont see them winning a heap of medals in the sprints like you do at the Olympics. For example, there were no Americans in Jason Smyth's event.

http://www.london2012.com/paralympic...s/medal-count/

It's a fair question IMO.

myflipflops · 04-09-2012, 00:21

Money.

Sport is mainly a privately funded thing in the US and I suspect very little gets put into the Paralympics so they are relatively less successful than in the Olympics.

I would guess there are more full time athletes on the Irish team than the US team.

pgmcpq · 05-09-2012, 21:09

You don't get the resources into the paraolympic sports that you do into regular sports - so it's not that the numbers participating are disproportionate - the lack of funding levels the playing field.

Saying that one of the guys, Raymond Martin, who trains on the running track near our house has won 2 golds in 100m and 400m events.

03-09-2012, 21:05	#1
AJCOT Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 367 Adverts \| Friends	Why are there so few Yanks at the Paralympics? Why are there so few Yanks at the Paralympics? Just curious on this one.

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03-09-2012, 22:36	#2
Pherekydes Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 10,752 Adverts \| Friends	They have the third biggest team behind the hosts and China. The UK also had the largest team at the Olympics.

04-09-2012, 00:21	#4
myflipflops Closed Account Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,748 Adverts \| Friends	Money. Sport is mainly a privately funded thing in the US and I suspect very little gets put into the Paralympics so they are relatively less successful than in the Olympics. I would guess there are more full time athletes on the Irish team than the US team.

05-09-2012, 21:09	#5
pgmcpq Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1,178 Adverts \| Friends	You don't get the resources into the paraolympic sports that you do into regular sports - so it's not that the numbers participating are disproportionate - the lack of funding levels the playing field. Saying that one of the guys, Raymond Martin, who trains on the running track near our house has won 2 golds in 100m and 400m events.