Impressions from Australia - The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, cont'd

Expanded Drug Screening
      Maturing of the Paralympics is reflected in its more comprehensive drug screening, and the identification of more athletes who test positive for banned substances. Pre-competition drug testing was instituted in Sydney for the Paralympic Games. Dr. Michael Riding, Medical Officer for the IPC, spoke at the beginning of the Games about efforts to test 700 athletes. "This is the first Paralympics where pre-competition testing has been held, and it is a big leap forward which had good feedback from the athletes," said Dr. Riding, according to IPC sources. "We are mainly looking for steroids and not painkillers, and we're aiming at 15% of the competitors being tested in the same ratio as the Olympic Games. We don't plan to test every winner but will try to cover all sports. The IPC is not seeking to catch cheats but to protect athletes and send a message that you don't need drugs to be a great athlete." He said there was always someone who would seek an edge to get a medal, but testing at the Atlanta Paralympic Games did not find a single positive result. Not so in Sydney...

Four Athletes Test Positive
      The Sydney pre-competition drug testing results identified four powerlifting athletes testing positive for drug use. Aurel Berbec (Romania) and Ali Mahmoudi-kordkheili (Iran) tested positive for anabolic steroid use, while Marina Diakonova (Russia) and Radko Radev (Bulgaria) tested positive for diuretic use.
      USA athlete Brian Frasure tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone during post-competition drug sampling, and had his 200 m T44 silver medal taken away. The tests were conducted following the 200 m T44 final, the last event in which Frasure was scheduled to compete. Earlier Frasure had also won a silver medal in the l00 m final, and, according to the USOC, Frasure will keep that medal because he tested negative for banned substances following the l00 m competition. It was unclear whether the world record he set in the semi-finals of the 200 m will be affected by this sanction. An IPC media release stated, "The IPC Medical and Anti-Doping Commission accepts the assertion of Mr. Frasure that this was an inadvertent use of anabolic steroids through the use of supplements. However, every athlete is ultimately responsible to ensure that he competes without the use of banned drugs." Frasure has been the world's top l00 m dash sprinter among athletes with single limb below-the-knee amputations since 1998.
      Frasure and the other athletes who tested positive for drugs were expelled from the Paralympic Games and will not be allowed to compete in any sports for the next four years, including the 12th Paralympic Summer Games in 2004.

Heightened Security - Another Sign of Maturing
      After interviewing Daniel Andrews, a man sitting by himself in the then empty stands dressed in the same Olympic/Paralympic uniform as other volunteers and staff called to me, "Is he (Andrews) with his parents now?" This author answered yes, then asked why he inquired. He proceeded to explain the role of personal security personnel for athletes.
      During October, 2000, relations between the Palestinians and Israelis deteriorated, and the two groups appeared on the brink of conflict. This situation prompted the hosting Australians to provide personal security for each United States and Israeli athlete throughout the Paralympic Games. These paid security personnel watched athletes from the moment they left the Olympic village until they returned-or went off with their families. The man in the stands identified himself as a member of the security personnel staff. He had been inconspicuously observing the entire interview with Dan Andrews. These were the first Paralympic Games to provide this form of security to athletes from countries considered potential targets. It is anticipated that security for athletes who are at high risk will become a permanent feature of the Paralympic Games, with individuals from Athens visiting Sydney to study these new security measures.
      There were no major security incidents throughout the Paralympic Games. All seemed to go well, due perhaps to the approximately 3,000 Police Service personnel, along with 900 Olympic Volunteers in Policing, and 1,600 commercial security guards.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Issues                                 Finland vs Egypt in men's sitting volleyball.
      IPC issues reflect Paralympic growing pains. Controversy arose following the IPC announcement that men's standing volleyball has been dropped from the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games. Carol Mushett, IPC Sport Technical Director explained, "The requirements for inclusion of team sports in the Paralympic program needs at least 18 nations in three regions to qualify a sport. It has been found after looking at official records that standing volleyball doesn't fulfill the criteria to be included at the next Paralympic Games." Oliver Gutfleisch, member of the German Standing Volleyball Team, expressed dismay over the decision. According to a SPOC press release, he argued, "There are so many countries such as Cambodia and other Eastern Asia regions that suffer from land mines, and this type of sport is very strong there. Some countries in Africa play standing volleyball, but they can't get the sponsorship for the team to join the IPC because their country is so poor. If this decision goes through, then it could mean the end of standing volleyball in many countries." In a subsequent press conference, IPC President Dr. Robert Steadward said the decision to drop the sport was final. He directed athletes back to their own countries to gain support for playing the sport on a national level. Steadward suggested that standing volleyball look to tennis as a model, referring to the way wheelchair tennis is administered under the tennis national governing board.
      Controversy surrounding standing volleyball may be indicative of the future direction of the Paralympics. Steadward, during an October 24 press conference, noted that the real estate value of the Paralympics continues to rise. Now the Paralympics are attracting media attention and sponsorship. He anticipates IPC may take actions to make the Paralympics more professional, more sophisticated, and more understandable to the public. The number of classes within competitions may be collapsed in an effort to select the very best athletes. Future Paralympic Games may not have all disabilities and sports. Some sports may only be available at the national or sport club levels. While Steadward did not say the following, it appears that his comments do not bode well for some competitors. Athletes with very limited function or with disabilities who do not fit the stereotypical beautiful people image may find it increasingly difficult to compete successfully in the collapsed categories. The Paralympic Games may be going Hollywood and some athletes are going to be left behind.
      During the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games the presidents of the IPC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed a Cooperation Agreement. An IPC press release stated, "the agreement acknowledges that the two organizations share the common belief in the right of all human beings to pursue their physical and intellectual development." IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said staging the Paralympic Games shortly after the Olympic Games at the same venues has proved to be a successful arrangement in the past, which should be maintained in the future. The IOC will support the Paralympic movement in various ways in the next years, including financial assistance. The cooperation agreement includes the principle that the IPC President will be co-opted as a member of the IOC. Steadward was already elected a member to the International Olympic Committee at the last IOC session in September.
      The Paralympic budget, media coverage, and athlete participation were all estimated to be approximately one-tenth those of the Olympics. It is worth noting that both the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies were sold out-something that could not be said about the Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Winners of the women's 50 m freestyle (swimming) S13 Beth Scott (USA) gold (center),
Kirby Cote (CAN) silver (right), and Chelsey Gotell (CAN) bronze.

Conclusion
      Sitting in the stands during the Closing Ceremony, I watched the extinguishing of the Paralympic flame. Soon those silly bike-riding kangaroos rode onto the field. I thought back to the Atlanta Olympics when the roos debuted, reflecting on the promise, and now the overwhelmingly successful fulfillment of the Sydney Games. Thoughts now drift forward to 2004. How will the Paralympic experience in Athens sustain the momentum generated in Sydney? In what ways will this refreshingly exuberant sporting event change as the media demands more glamour, brought on by the stunning success of the 2000 Paralympic Games?

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