On the Scene -- Athlete Village Offers Tangible, Intangible Comforts

Athletes occupy the bottom three floors of the Paralympic Village. (Getty Images)All Compliments for the Village

The verdict on the Paralympic Village is nearly universal: great, excellent or the superlatives in any other language among the nearly 4,000 athlete residents of the Games housing. Facilities are part of the equation, but there’s something intangible too.

"It’s absolutely amazing. All the time you’re meeting other countries’ guys from all over the world," German wheelchair rugby player Christian Goetze tells ATR.

He sums up what many athletes and coaches say of their neighborhood of 147 nationalities.

"You’re not disabled in this village," Goetze adds. He and his neighbors and accessible design define this neighborhood.

Village deputy director Deng Yaping says her staff turned the Olympic Village into the Paralympic Village in just 26 hours. Signs changed, more ramps and grooved sidewalks were installed. Staff in shops were trained in etiquette, such as squatting or sitting to talk to people who use wheelchairs, and to ask before providing physical assistance.

"I really hope that athletes will walk away from China not only with medals, but also the honor of hardship beyond the imagination of common people [and] also the meticulous care and warmth that our staffs have demonstrated in the Village," says Deng.

Paralympians are occupying only the bottom three floors of the residential buildings that reach as high as nine stories. It is more convenient, says Deng, given the smaller number of clients.

The Village atmosphere also gets great reviews, and indicates progress to one Paralympian.

"I really like the Paralympic Village. It’s so beautiful and everybody there is friendly. The living condition is better here than in Athens," says Polish fencer Dagmara Witos-Eze.

One athlete with a nearly unique experience suggests the Paralympics are better for her than the August Games.

Paralympic champion Natalie du Toit says the Paralympics have been more fun than the Olympics. (Getty Images) "The Paralympics in Beijing are actually amazing for me," says 2008 Olympic swimmer and Paralympic champion Natalie du Toit.

"They’ve been more friendly. Our team has done amazingly. I’ve probably even had a better time at the Paralympics than at the Olympics," she continues.

Du Toit’s personal Paralympic medal haul of five golds beats South Africa’s Olympic count of a single silver.

Balancing Competition with Culture

The Paralympic Games fall during two holidays that usually mean family time: Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Ramadan, observed by Muslim athletes and officials.

But Paralympic organizers have tried to keep the athletes from missing the events.

Games organizers held a party in the Village to mark Mid-Autumn Festival, serving mooncakes. For many Paralympians, it was the first chance for many to sample the quintessentially Chinese cakes in flavors like red bean or lotus.

According to a classic Chinese poem, the full moon at mid-autumn evokes memories of home, and homesickness among those who are travelling. But at the Village, clouds masked the full moon while thunderstorms later turned the night into a lightning festival.

There were some, however, who had other priorities than enjoying the celebration. Many Chinese athletes politely say that they are happy to be representing their country and working hard during the festival, instead.

"Last night I didn’t realize it was the Mid-Autumn Festival today, because I concentrated on this match," discus champion Fan Liang from China said.

Muslim athletes are also trying to balance the demands of competition with religious observance. The whole of the Paralympics fall during Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, and a time when most Muslims fast from sunup to sundown and feast with family at night. But Jordan’s Paralympic attache says most of his athletes are not fasting just yet.

"Islam allows, in times of travelling and hard work, to fast in the days after Ramadan," Daoud Shehadeh points out to ATR, adding that his team is happy with the menus at the Paralympic Village and are eating a lot of McDonald’s.

Deng Yaping says that nonetheless her kitchens are ready with breakfast all through the night for the fasters in the Village.

Looking Ahead to 2012

The Jordanian attaché, Daoud Shehadeh, is already thinking about the 2012 Village.

"I think everything is okay, I’m asking myself the question about London 2012, what did the Chinese leave for the English people to do? The answer will be in 2012," says Shehadeh.

Beijing Briefs…

British Paralympics superstar-turned-journalist Tanni Grey-Thompson suggests the IPC needs to work more quickly to resolve disputes, after three controversies involving U.K. athletes.

The first is the women’s 5,000-meter T54 race, which will be rerun after a crash and a medal ceremony that should have been postponed while a protest was heard. The second is the delay of a medal ceremony involving David Weir – who waited 24 hours for the resolution of a protest about a misassigned lane, even though the protesting athlete requested David Weir (right)already has a bronze, silver, and gold from the Beijing Games and two more races on the schedule. (Getty Images)the protest be withdrawn. The third is the case of Rebecca Chin, for a few moments a silver medalist, but then disqualified after a classification review.

“Beijing has been a watershed for the IPC, as a set of challenges they never expected have appeared. The public need to understand what happens. Transparency from the IPC is essential,” Grey-Thompson writes in the Telegraph.

Six athletes are on the shortlist for the 2008 edition of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award. The Award, given at each summer and winter Paralympics, honors one male and one female Paralympian for exemplifying excellence in sports and the spirit of determination. The female nominees are U.S. athlete Cheri Blauwet, South African swimmer Natalie du Toit and Polish table tennis player Natalia Partyka. On the men’s side, Panamanian athlete Said Gomez, Thai athlete Supachai Koysub and U.S. cyclist Ron Williams are the nominees. The prize committee takes nominations at the beginning of the Games; a panel of judges from the IPC and the prize committee decide on a shortlist and eventual winners. The prize is named for the Korean Paralympian who endowed it with her 1988 Games prize money. The winners will be announced the day before the closing ceremony. A total of 38 athletes were nominated this year.

China is the leader for TV broadcast of the Paralympics, with rights-holding broadcaster CCTV showing 22 hours of Paralympic programming daily across its family of channels which reach more than one billion people. In the U.K., some 2.2 million people watched the Games opening ceremony, and overall market share of Paralympics coverage is reaching 9 to 10 percent. Market share for highlights in Germany averages about 7 to 9 percent, according to statistics from the broadcasters a few days before the Games close.

Sports Wrap

The intensity of parasport competition is growing, if record-setting performances are any indication. Athletes have broken more than 80 world records; swimmers, more than 90. And the athletes have another two days of competition. For swimmers, though, the books are closed on a close China-U.S. duel. The U.S. topped in gold, but China’s medals across all three categories put it on top.

The sport schedule slows noticeably after Monday’s 51 medal ceremonies. Tomorrow, there are only 37 golds to be awarded. Archery, sitting volleyball and tennis are done, and China remains untouchable at the top of the medal table.

Written by Maggie Lee in Beijing

ATR Coverage of the Beijing Paralympics is Proudly Presented by Rio 2016.

Your best source for news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.