Paralympic ?

[thenry]

From the Greek para - beside etc. I hope these games get a good attendance but I think the nations will be Olympiced out !

[woofgang]

I think its a contraction of "Paraplegic Olympics". nothing to do with beside.....

[rojash]

Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities, thus only people with lower body impairments would qualify for a paraplegic Olympics.

According to Wikipedia "The present formal explanation for the name is that it derives from the Greek preposition παρά, pará ("beside" or "alongside") and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games"

[jno]

paraplegia was originally to do with one side of the body, so there is a roundabout link with "beside".

[woofgang]

But didn't it start with the paraplegics at Stoke Mandeville?

[woofgang]

Hit submit too soon. It used to be called the Paraplegic Games.

[Maydup]

Either way its all sold out and as far a I can tell, people can't get enough of the Olympics.

[Jemisa]

I heard on the BBC news that they had sold out of tickets.

jem

[thenry]

I think you will find I am correct - PARA lympics has nohing to do with disability - it is simply alongside the Olympics.