The chief executive of the British Paralympic Association (BPA) has denied that there have been any attempts to cheat the system by members of ParalympicsGB’s squad in Rio, despite concerns that some track and field athletes at the Paralympic Games will be competing against competitors who are significantly more impaired.
The buildup to the Paralympics, which begins with Thursday’s opening ceremony at the Maracanã, has been overshadowed by allegations that some British athletes have been placed in the wrong classification, greatly enhancing their chances of winning medals. But Tim Hollingsworth, the BPA’s CEO, responded to criticism by saying that every British athlete has undergone stringent medical checks to ensure that they are in the right classification and was adamant when he was asked to offer reassurances that there are no cheats in the team.
“Absolutely 100%,” he said. “What we can say is we are very focused on getting the right athletes in the right class. It’s not a job the BPA has but obviously our sports both nationally and internationally recognise that classification is on a continuum. No two athletes are going to be the exact same in terms of their impairment and functionality.
“As we progress as a sport I’m sure more can be done to distinguish between one class and another but that’s very, very different from saying the issue of intentional misrepresentation of impairment is live. If any athlete was found to be intentionally misrepresenting their class we would come down on that absolutely and see that as being unacceptable and against both the regulations and the spirit of Paralympic sport.”
The process has been thrust into the spotlight after it was reported that UK Athletics intends to launch an inquiry into the classification process after the Paralympics, with several figures questioning its effectiveness. Bethany Woodward, who won silver in the T37 200m at London four years ago, has withdrawn from the athletics programme after growing disillusioned with the system.
Hollingsworth, who intends to speak to Woodward after the Games, stressed his belief that the system stands up to scrutiny. “I dispute the view that what has been discussed over the last few days should lead to the conclusion there is anything along those lines going on,” he said. “Every one of our athletes has a confirmed classification that means their international classification has been looked at from a medical and functional point of view and been confirmed by the international federation.”
Despite the classification controversy, Hollingsworth is confident that the 264-strong British team will enjoy their best ever Games and beat their tally of 120 medals in London four years ago.
On a wider scale, however, uncertainty remains over whether Brazil will be able to host the Paralympics successfully. The country’s politics remain turbulent with continued violent protests in the wake of last week’s expulsion of Dilma Rousseff from the presidency. The economy is also in the middle of the steepest slump in decades.
The run-in to the event has been beset by financial problems as a result of weak ticket sales and little sponsorship. Although organisers had promised no public money would be needed, they had to ask the government for $150m last month after revealing a gaping hole in the budget.
Even with the emergency funds, there have been extensive last-minute cuts and rearrangements. Wheelchair fencing has been moved from Deodoro Olympic Park, which is being partially dismantled. Several big screens have been taken down. Seating has been trimmed back by about 30% so the number of tickets on sale has gone down from 3.4m to 2.5m.
“Never before in the 56-year history of the Paralympic Games have we faced circumstances like this,” said Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, when the cuts were announced. However he insisted the number of events and the quality of the competition would not be compromised.
Persistent fears that public support may be less uplifting than at London 2012 and Beijing 2008 have prompted online drives for donations to pay for local children to attend the Paralympics. Prince Harry is among the contributors to the #filltheseats campaign, which has raised many times more than its initial target of $15,000. “We now have just over $200,000 in public and private donations. Which is unbelievable but thank you all,” the organisers announced on Tuesday.
These efforts and a marketing drive focused on the Paralympic torch relay have lifted the percentage of seats sold from 12% in early August to more than 50%. But there are still close to a million unsold tickets, including some for the opening ceremony in the Maracanã.
Donovan Ferreti, the ticketing director of Rio2016, remained hopeful that patriotism would fuel a last minute surge in demand among Cariocas (Rio residents). “Brazil has a great history in terms of Paralympic medals. We are telling people that will have a good chance to see Brazilians on the podium and to hear the national anthem,” he said.
The host nation has a far more impressive record in the Paralympics than the Olympics. In 2012 Brazil won 43 medals – putting it seventh in the rankings. This year, with home advantage, it looks set to do even better.
Organisers hope crowds will be drawn by domestic stars including Daniel Dias, a swimmer who has been described as “Brazil’s answer to Michael Phelps” after winning more medals than any other athletes at the past two games; and by compelling individual stories, including that of US para-triathlete Melissa Stockwell, who is a veteran of the Iraq war, or Cabo Torres a Colombian weightlifter who lost his legs in a landmine explosion.
In terms of the wider impact on society Teresa Costa d’Amaral, of the Brazilian Institute for the Rights of People with Disabilities, said she was more concerned with long-lasting structural and legal changes than the short-term boost given by the event, but she hoped it might bring about a shift in attitudes. “My expectation is that we can have more attention for disabled people after the games but it’s just a hope. After all, the event only lasts a handful of days,” she said. “Society, little by little, is perceiving that people with disabilities exist and have the right to be citizens. But in terms of putting this in practice, I see very little progress.”
Vanessa Goulart, executive director of Centre for an Independent Life, was more upbeat. She said her low expectations had already been met in terms of improvements to make public transport in Rio more accessible to wheelchairs and to create new public spaces, such as the Praça Maui waterfront, that have ramps and wide pavements. Although she acknowledged there is still a long way to go in terms of pot-holed streets and Portuguese-style mosaic pavements, she was hopeful of a positive “domino effect” over the next two weeks. “There are 4,500 athletes with disabilities that will come. They come from places with more accessibility so they act in a different way and they occupy space with a different outlook. It’s important to see this potential. It can be motivational.”
