2012 Paralympics "Not a Junior Partner" to Olympics, Says UK Culture Secretary

(ATR) Britain's culture and Olympics secretary Jeremy Hunt says London 2012 will be the first time that the Paralympics are not a junior partner to the Olympics, as he unveiled the medals that will be awarded to Paralympians next year.

The medals, designed by jewellery artist Lin Cheung, were unveiled today as part of a new Olympic exhibition at London’s British Museum. Alongside the designer, Hunt spoke of what the medals would mean to the athletes competing next summer.

The designs were made public with one week to go until the application window for Paralympic ticket closes.

"We want this to be the first year when the Paralympics is no longer treated as a junior partner to the Olympics. We are very pleased with the ticket sales which, for the first time, have sold out in certain events," he told a press conference at the museum.

"We have also been working hard to make sure we have a huge legacy for disability sport with around 6,000 schools playing disability sport for the first time.

"At the heart of all of this are the medals which the Paralympians will be competing for next year. These are going to be handed over at 502 medal ceremonies. They blend a mix of ancient and modern in their remarkable design and they look absolutely inspirational."

More than 2,100 Paralympic medals will be presented at ceremonies in 19-plus venues over 11 days of competition.

The medals themselves feature on the obverse side an imagined close-up section of an outstretched wing of the Greek Goddess of Victory, which has been depicted on the front of the Olympic medal since 2004. The reverse of the medal designed by Cheung, who lectures in jewellery design at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, represents‘The heart of victory’.

The medals go on display to the public today at a free display for the Cultural Olympiad in the British Museum.

Winner of 16 Paralympic Games medals Tanni Grey-Thompson is no stranger to precious metal around her neck, but told ATR that these medals were something different.

"I like the back of the medal with the swirling pattern. It’s so heavy, that it feels like you have actually won something," she said.

"I’m not terribly artistic but the ribbon is important too, because you want it to look good when you are wearing it around your neck."

Team GB won 102 medals at Beijing 2008 and Grey-Thompson hopes that the display will help Paralympians train that "extra bit harder" to win one next year.

"As an athlete you spend all this time training, and winning is great but the medal ceremony is the bit where you get to celebrate and having the medal is the bit that means so much to you and your family. Records can come and go, but a medal is always yours and no-one can take that away from you," she added.

Commenting on the medals' design, LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said: "I’m sure that the design of the medals will be a source of inspiration for the thousands of Paralympic athletes around the world who are counting down the days before they compete in what will be an amazing festival of elite sport."

Philip Craven, IPC President, said: ‘For those lucky enough to win one of these stunning medals it will remain a treasured possession for the rest of their lives. It will make all the years of training and dedication to be both physically and mentally ready for London 2012 more than just worthwhile.’

The medals fittingly originate from all over the world as the ore is supplied by London 2012 sponsor Rio Tinto and is mined at Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper Mine near Salt Lake City in America, as well as from the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.

The medals will go into production later this year at Britain’s Royal Mint headquarters in Wales.

In other Paralympics news, U.K. supermarket giant Sainsbury’s today announced that its Paralympic campaign, the 1m Kids Challenge, created to encourage children of all ages and abilities to give a Paralympic sport a go – has now received over 1.9 million children pledged from schools from across the UK.

Reported by Christian Radnedge