Dinghy development: Paralympic Sailing dropped from 2020 Games

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Paralympic Sailing dropped from 2020 Games

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11876
Printed Date: 09 Jul 25 at 4:05pm
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Topic: Paralympic Sailing dropped from 2020 Games

Posted By: Bootscooter
Subject: Paralympic Sailing dropped from 2020 Games
Date Posted: 31 Jan 15 at 10:18pm

Absolutely shocking decision IMHO

Hello,

I just signed the petition, "International Paralympic Committee (IPC): Reinstate sailing as a sport in the 2020 Paralympic Games!."

I think this is important. Will you sign it too?

Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/p/international-paralympic-committee-ipc-reinstate-sailing-as-a-sport-in-the-2020-paralympic-games" rel="nofollow - http://www.change.org/p/international-paralympic-committee-ipc-reinstate-sailing-as-a-sport-in-the-2020-paralympic-games

Replies:

Posted By: boatshed
Date Posted: 31 Jan 15 at 10:52pm

Utterly stupid. Thanks for flagging this up.

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Steve

Posted By: Paramedic
Date Posted: 01 Feb 15 at 8:47am

So quite apart from the moral and equality issues of why sailing should be in:

Clubs have spent £x,000,000 around the country converting their clubhouses to improve access for potential disabled members. Countless members have given up their spare time finishing and decorating these facilities, filling in grant applications etc etc and countless more members have been inconvenienced at their club while this work has gone on.

Another group of clubs whose clubhouses will never, ever be suitable for disabled access or who can't afford to match the funding required to do the work have gone without, and suffered the knock on effect of neighbouring clubs with better facilities and new boats hoovering up more newcomers to the sport be they disabled or otherwise.

All the rights and wrongs of the above apart, people with a disability now have better service than ever, and a local club within reach in pretty much every region that can meet their needs.

And now they pull the plug on the Paralympics????

Absolutely disgraceful, and i would hope our governing body are pulling strings to reverse this decision.

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Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 01 Feb 15 at 9:04am

Playing devil's advocate, I'm sure this decision is not about how empowering the sport is to people with disabilities,or any of the other merits it has.

At the Miami OCR I only counted 16 nations taking part in paralympic sailing. If that is a reflection of the global engagement, then it will have been a key factor in the decision.

It's sad,but I'm sure other nations do not afford their paralympic sailors the respect, status and resources we give ours.

That all said, I will be signing the petition. Surely the answer is to support the less engaged nations to step up rather than drop it. I'm sure that every country that has an Olympic sailing programme also has disabled people.

Posted By: salmon80
Date Posted: 01 Feb 15 at 10:46am

I'm going to agree with Gareth, it's not got the global appeal of other Paralympic sports.

I think within our sport it's a wonderful that sailing allows all to participate irrespective of age, mobility, etc.

But if sailing for able bodied is expensive and prohibitive for developing countries imagine the costs for Paralympic sailing (support network etc) that developing countries have to find ....

Posted By: iiitick
Date Posted: 01 Feb 15 at 10:56am

If we tailor Olympic events so that every country can take part that would deprive lots of other competitors.

It always seems to me that paralympic sailing is a good sport. Same skills as normal but sitting down.

I think we should ban the high jump because some nations are genetically shorter than others.

Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 01 Feb 15 at 7:28pm

The decision is based on how accessible sailing is to potential disabled competitors across the globe, and unfortunately the answer is that in most countries it just doesn't happen. In comparison, the new sports that have got in - Badminton and Taekwondo - are probably much easier to establish in the less wealthy countries, whereas sailing would simply be out of the question. I suppose the altruistic view is that if the inclusion of the new sports gets more people with disabilities into any kind of sport, then that has to be a good thing.

In the meantime Britain should and will continue to set an example to other nations by continuing to provide facilities for sailing such as the numerous Sailability groups, but will also encourage non Sailability clubs to look hard at how they can encourage disabled sailors of every kind into their premises, onto their water and enjoying their sport. Not all disabled sailors need wheelchair facilities; sometimes a stable boat and patient helpers are all that is required.

Sailing having Paralympic status is great, but losing it will not kill Sailability.

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the same, but different...