On the Scene in Beijing -- Media Outnumber Athletes at Paralympics

(ATR) Beijing marks the first Paralympics where media outnumber athletes, thanks to an army of host country reporters. A total of 6,325 broadcast and print media are accredited for the Games, with slightly more than half from mainland China. That number more than doubles the Athens total of 3,103 accredited media and exceeds the 4,000-plus athletes in Beijing.

A logistics hiccup? Not all photographers were aware of a requirement to apply a day in advance to a pass to the Bird's Nest field of play. Volunteers directed them to the first row of the media tribune. (ATR)Xinhua is the only major bureau still occupying its office in the Main Press Center; its 175-member staff dwarfs the 45 from Reuters. And Chinese reporters, many from provincial outlets, ask most of the questions at press conferences.

Germany makes up the next largest contingent of reporters with 333 representing broadcast and print. Television networks ZDF and ARD are broadcasting some Paralympics coverage every day in Germany in addition to Eurosport's schedule covering much of the continent.

In the U.S., television coverage of the Paralympics will not begin until a package of highlights runs in October. The reason is economic.

"We are not public television," NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel told the New York Times. "We have to get advertising revenue that exceeds its cost. It is not inexpensive to cover two weeks of athletic events in China."

The entire on-site staff for the U.S. rights holding broadcaster consists of only 18 people. All of the talent and a larger crew are back in the States. Cable viewers can see more of the Games in October, but only if they live in one of nine markets that carries the Universal Sport network, an NBC property.

For U.S. Paralympics fans, the best bet is the Internet. Universalsports.com is showing events live and on-demand, but even that endeavor might not be profitable at this point. All the ads on the home page point to GE, parent company of NBC.

The International Paralympic Committee also is turning to the Internet. Paralympicsport.tv's live broadcast of the opening ceremony attracted 22,000 viewers while Day One of competition attracted 28,000. Samsung, IPC Worldwide Partner, is the site's main sponsor.

At least one private print outlet from Germany is busy due to a specific editorial choice plus some savvy ad sales. Editor Annette Koegel and part of Der Tagesspiegel's Paralympic coverage. (ATR)Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel began Paralympics coverage with a 16-page color supplement ahead of the Games, then sent staff to Beijing.The project is driven by editor, writer and serious Paralympics fan Anette Koegel. She calls the Paralympics an ideal story because it is a sports story that can also be a human interest or business story. And her supplement was funded by ads from several German Paralympic Committee sponsors.

All Paralympics media have plenty of space to work in Beijing. BOCOG cut its media operations staff during the Paralympics, but facilities remained in full operation. The main press center workroom stands less than 10 percent full during likely work hours. At venues, front row seats are easy to find.

The net of Chinese internet censorship that caused controversy during the Olympics is still in place -- and has caught at least one seemingly-innocuous filmmaker. Documentary filmmaker Steven C. Barber came to the Games in part to promote "American Paraplegic," his upcoming film about wheelchair marathoners. But he can't show theWeb siteto potential fans because it won't load, although it works in the U.S. As for the more usual suspects,Web siteslike Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are accessible, but others like Students for a Free Tibet still won't load.

The IPC has received two censorship complaints and has addressed them to BOCOG, IPC Communications Director Steffi Klein says. Otherwise, she says there are few media complaints and some compliments.

"Especially, some media with a disability are happy with the set up," she says. "There are some security rules to follow but that has been like that before."

Sports Wrap-up Natalie Du Toit won her first swimming gold medal in the women's 100m freestyle - S9. (Getty Images)

"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius equalled his personal best time of 11.16 seconds in the first round of the men's 100m T44 class Monday. The 21-year-old South African won a legal battle in May for the right to participate in the Olympics, but did not meet the qualifying time. In his 100m heat, he had the fastest time by .32 seconds.

A total of 41 gold medals were awarded Sunday across a program of 14 sports. Natalie Du Toit of South Africa won the 100-meter butterfly gold medal less than three weeks after finishing 16th in the open-water Olympic swim. Du Toit, who lost her left leg above the knee in a 2001 motorcycle crash, had a time of 1 minute, 6.74 seconds -- a world record for her disability class -- and did not have the swimming cap problems that hampered her in the Olympics. She will try for five golds in the Paralympics.

The United States won four gold medals in swimming on the opening day, the most by any country. Veronika Vadovicova of Slovakia won the first gold medal of the Paralympics, taking the women's 10-meter air rifle (standing position). Great Britain won the first gold in cycling as Simon Richardson captured the 1-kilometer time trial. China won two of the four gold medals in judo with victories by Guo Huaping (women's 48 kilograms) and Cui Na (women's 52 kilos).

Beijing Briefs...

Workers and students appeared in the stands of the National Stadium, some in matching clothes. A group of "Cheering from Beijing Workers" - identified by their yellow T-shirts bearing that slogan - visited the Bird's Nest morning athletics session and formed a perfectly square block. They cheered in unison throughout the morning. Several batches of students also came to the stadium in large numbers, but wore plain clothes and stood in straight queues behind teachers. The stadium was about two-thirds full during the morning and roared loudest with Chinese victories.

Written by Maggie Lee in Beijing

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

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