[lostalex]

There are many sports in the Paralympics in which able-bodied people could participate in without having any advantage. for instance, if you put an able bodied person in a wheel chair, how would they have any advantage over a disabled person?

We've seen Oscar Pistorious compete along side able-bodied athletes, so why shouldn't the reverse also be acceptable?

It seems to me that if an able-bodied person has no advantage over a disabled person in a particular sport, sports in which having extra limbs doesn't give you an advantage, then they should be allowed to compete.

What do you think?

An able-bodied person in a wheel chair, playing wheel chair basketball would not be at any advantage. He's not using his legs in any way, so why shouldn't everyone be allowed to play wheel chair basketball?

[Redway]

No because that would obliterate the whole point of the game.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Redway

No because that would obliterate the whole point of the game.

but isn't the point of the game to have the best athletes in the world competing to win?

[Redway]

It's called paralympics though.

The able-bodied people - which undoubtedly contained some of the best athletes in the world - have already had their olympics. Let the disabled or otherwise less advantaged have their paralympics.

I fail to see the problem with that system.

[MTVN]

But it's meant to be about how the athletes have overcome their disabilities and the obstacles they bring to be able to compete in sports at the highest level, allowing able-bodied people kind of defeats the point

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by MTVN

But it's meant to be about how the athletes have overcome their disabilities and the obstacles they bring to be able to compete in sports at the highest level, allowing able-bodied people kind of defeats the point

Well if that's what it's about then, yur right, able-bodied people shouldn't be allowed to compete.

BUt i thought that the Paralympics was about the best athletes in the world playing in sports that leveled the playing field. Sports where it doesn't matter if you have a disability or not. Certain sports where it literally doesn't matter if yur disabled or not, i think that would be much more impressive and really raise the Paralympics, If they allowed able-bodied people to compete aswell as long as it's a level playing field for all, shouldn't we all be trying to play together?

I think it's a much more beautiful concept to see disabled people and able-bodied people competing on an even playing field, together. I think that would be amazing. It would be beautiful.

[the truth]

the paralympics is beautiful as it is
the truth is to have able bodied (or whatever the term is) copete would also complicate an already complicated criteria...each degree of disability is taken into account in each sport. it also gets complicated in terms of what advantages an able bodied person has riding a wheelchair. they have extra muscle fibres in parts of their bodies that could give them advantages even in a wheelchair sport. I dont disagree it would be awesome to see able bodied and wheelchair users compete and play together in sports. so big respect to the idea. I love innovative positive productive thinking. maybe you should turn your hand to inventing a cross sport for wheelchair users, able bodied and others with disabilities etc