2012 London Paralympics Games begin

With 2.5 million tickets to events sold-out & extensive TV coverage with sponsorship, the premier sporting event for the disabled has come of age.

Photo above at 2011 World Fencing Championships with Hungary's Zsuzsanna Krajnyak (L) competing against China's Wu Bai Li during the final of the Wheelchair Women's Epee competition (Photo AFP: Giuseppe Cacace)

Photo below of a Paralympics swimming event with Charlotte Henshaw of Great Britain getting ready before the women's 100m breaststroke SB6 final during the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games (AFP Photo: Liu Jin).

See Bangkok Post sports for the latest Paralympics news here.

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Paralympics

China the team to beat again at 2012 London Games

AFP

LONDON: The Paralympic Games begin in London tomorrow, with China tipped to repeat their gold rush of four years ago but hosts Britain aiming to push them hard and give home fans more reasons to cheer.

Just over two weeks after the Olympics closing ceremony, organisers have transformed sports venues and accommodation in readiness for the arrival of some 4,200 athletes with a disability and the 11-day finale to a summer of sport.

Queen Elizabeth II is due to open the Games tomorrow, with the Paralympic cauldron lit using flames kindled on Britain's four highest peaks and 24 hours after a torch relay starting at the spiritual home of the movement....

...Medals are also up for grabs in the velodrome, with the finals of the men and women's individual pursuit, in four weight categories in judo at the ExCel Arena and at the Aquatics Centre, where 15 swimming finals are to be held.

In the pool, multiple gold medallist Natalie Du Toit is aiming to retire on a high in the sport she has dominated for more than a decade. The South African competes in seven events.

The Games' showpiece athletics programme gets under way on Friday, with the highlight Oscar Pistorius [the 'Blade Runner'], who is seeking to defend his T44 100m, 200m and 400m titles from Beijing...

...China have been tipped to be the team to beat, after their Paralympic team swept all aside in Beijing four years ago, with 89 gold and 211 medals in all, more than double that of their nearest rival Britain on both counts.

But their 332 athletes four years ago -- the largest ever Chinese Paralympic delegation -- has been cut to 282 and almost half are debutants.

This year's Paralympics are nearly sold-out, with most of the 2.5 million tickets gone -- a record -- with organisers attributing that to British interest in disabled sport as well as a successful Olympics for the hosts.

Sponsorship and planned television coverage have increased, while the IPC said that a record 1,513 women -- more than double the number who took part in Barcelona a decade ago and up from 1,383 in Beijing -- will compete this year.

A number of countries are also set to send athletes for the first time, including North Korea, although critics say poorer nations are at a disadvantage in the Paralympics to those that can afford increasingly high-tech gear. AFP

(Source: Bangkok Post, Paralympics, China the team to beat again at 2012 London Games, AFP)


Paralympics Vocabulary

Paralympic Games - "a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their respective Olympic Games. ... The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sport events by the early 21st century" (See Wikipedia and List of Sports)

2012 Paralympics Games - "the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September. They will be held in London, United Kingdom,... It is the second largest multi-sport event ever held within the United Kingdom after the 2012 Olympic Games" (See Wikipedia)

disability - an illness, injury or condition that makes it difficult for someone to do the things that other people do ความพิการ
disabled sport

fencing - a fight between two people armed with the modern version of a sword or bladed weapon (See Wikipedia)
epee - a version of fencing with the sword having a heavier and stiffer blade (See Wikipedia)
wheelchair fencing - (See Wikipedia)

Paralympic swimming - (See Wikipedia)
 
tipped to - people believe that this will happen (or that they will win some sporting event)

rush - to move or do something very quickly รีบเร่ง, วิ่ง
gold rush - when someone finds gold at a place and then large numbers of people go to that place hopeing to find gold and get rich

hosts - the people, company, organization or whole country that pays for an event and provides a place for it to happen
home fans - when a sporting event is held at a place (the local people who come and watch and cheer)

reason - why people do something, why an event happens เหตุผล
cheer - also called "applause"  การส่งเสียงเชียร์
reasons to cheer

LONDON: The Paralympic Games begin in London tomorrow, with China tipped to repeat their gold rush of four years ago but hosts Britain aiming to push them hard and give home fans more reasons to cheer.

ceremony - a formal public event งานพิธี
Olympics closing ceremony

organisers - the people who organize a large event like the Olympics (make all the arrangements needed to make it happen)

transformed - changed
accommodation - places for people to stay overnight at for several days such as hotels or guesthouses

venues - places were public events or meetings take place สถานที่ชุมนุม พบปะสังสรรค์ สถานนี่จัดงาน
sports venues - places where sporting events are held

transformed sports venues and accommodation

readiness - being ready and prepared to deal with a situation, event or activity
arrival - when someone reaches where they are going (arrives) ขาเข้า การเข้ามา

readiness for the arrival of some 4,200 athletes with a disability

finale - the final event (to celebrate and end of a series or program of events)
the 11-day finale to a summer of sport.

Just over two weeks after the Olympics closing ceremony, organisers have transformed sports venues and accommodation in readiness for the arrival of some 4,200 athletes with a disability and the 11-day finale to a summer of sport.

cauldron - a big iron pot or bowl
Paralympic cauldron - the place where the Olympics flame burns (the symbol of the games)

flames - the parts of a fire that jump out
kindle flames - to start a fire
flames kindled

Paralympic cauldron lit using flames kindled on Britain's four highest peaks

torch - a piece of wood or a long container with a flame at one end คบเพลิง

relay - to pass something on (information, money, etc.) from one person to another ส่งผ่าน an event where something, in this case the Olympic torch, is passed from person to person, each one running a certain distance การส่งต่อ หรือวิ่งผลัด

movement - a group of people who share the same aim and work together to achieve it การเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อวัตถุประสงค์ทางการเมือง
the paralympics movement

torch relay starting at the spiritual home of the movement....

Queen Elizabeth II is due to open the Games tomorrow, with the Paralympic cauldron lit using flames kindled on Britain's four highest peaks and 24 hours after a torch relay starting at the spiritual home of the movement....

up for grabs - someone can get it (if they win a Parlympics event)
velodrome - a stadium for high-speed short distance bicycle racing (See Wikipedia)

individual - relating to or involving a single, separate person or thing บุคคล แต่ละบุคคล
pursuit - when you try to achieve a plan, activity or situation, usually over a long period of time การพยายามให้ถึงความต้องการ
individual pursuit

judo - the Japanese self-defense sport (See Wikipedia)
weight categories in judo - people in different weight ranges compete against each other for prizes

...Medals are also up for grabs in the velodrome, with the finals of the men and women's individual pursuit, in four weight categories in judo at the ExCel Arena and at the Aquatics Centre, where 15 swimming finals are to be held.

pool - swimming pool
retire - to stop playing a sport as a professional or serious player (this could be very young, in 20s, for example)  อำลาวงการ

dominated - controlled ถูกควบคุม ถูกชักใย บงการ
decade - a period of ten years ทศวรรษ, ระยะเวลา 10 ปี

In the pool, multiple gold medallist Natalie Du Toit is aiming to retire on a high in the sport she has dominated for more than a decade. The South African competes in seven events.

showpiece - something that is impressive that everyone sees or watches and represents the whole for people  
the Games' showpiece athletics programme

gets underway - starts

highlight - the most exciting, impressive, or interesting part of an event that gets people's attention จุดสำคัญ เรียกทับศัพท์ว่า ไฮไลท์  เน้น ย้ำความสำคัญ

Oscar Pistorius - "(born 22 November 1986) is a South African sprint runner. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius, who has a double below-knee amputation, is the world record holder for T44 in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events and runs with the aid of ... artificial limbs by Össur. He competes in T44 (single below knee amputees) events though he is actually classified in T43 (double below knee amputee)" (See Wikipedia)

defend - try to win again, after winning an event once

The Games' showpiece athletics programme gets under way on Friday, with the highlight Oscar Pistorius [the 'Blade Runner'], who is seeking to defend his T44 100m, 200m and 400m titles from Beijing...

beat - win ชนะ
the team to beat
swept all aside - meaning: beat everyone

double - to become twice as big, twice as much or twice as many เพิ่มเป็นสองเท่า

rival - a person or team you are competing against or opposing คู่แข่ง
their nearest rival - the closest person in a race (behind them in a race)

...China have been tipped to be the team to beat, after their Paralympic team swept all aside in Beijing four years ago, with 89 gold and 211 medals in all, more than double that of their nearest rival Britain on both counts.

delegation - a group of people chosen or elected by a group to represent them คณะผู้แทน, คณะบุคคลที่เป็นตัวแทนของคนกลุ่มใหญ่
debutants - people who are starting to do some activity for the first time

But their 332 athletes four years ago -- the largest ever Chinese Paralympic delegation -- has been cut to 282 and almost half are debutants.

sold-out - sold all the tickets for the event (no more seats left in stadium)
record - the best or most ever achieved สถิติ
attributing that to - saying that the reason is ....

This year's Paralympics are nearly sold-out, with most of the 2.5 million tickets gone -- a record -- with organisers attributing that to British interest in disabled sport as well as a successful Olympics for the hosts.

sponsorship - the company or organization that pays for an event (getting advertising and publicity from this)
television coverage - when some event is on TV

Sponsorship and planned television coverage have increased, while the IPC said that a record 1,513 women -- more than double the number who took part in Barcelona a decade ago and up from 1,383 in Beijing -- will compete this year.

critics - people who look for and point out problems in something นักวิจารณ์
disadvantage - something that makes someone or something less effective, successful or attractive ข้อเสียเปรียบ ข้อด้อย

afford - have enough money to buy something  มีเงินพอจับจ่าย ซื้อหา

gear - the special clothes and equipment that you use for a particular activity
high-tech gear

afford increasingly high-tech gear

A number of countries are also set to send athletes for the first time, including North Korea, although critics say poorer nations are at a disadvantage in the Paralympics to those that can afford increasingly high-tech gear. AFP