Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2024-08-20T10:33:06.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey is this week's Radio Times cover star
items: Memories of 2012 revived in another golden summer
items: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Victory Parade - live blog
items: David Blunkett: Once the Paralympic euphoria has melted away, what will be its legacy?
items: London 2012: behind the scenes for Team GB's medal-winning moments
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Friday 7 September
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Thursday 6 September
items: Paralympics 2012: Jonnie Peacock on his hero and rival Oscar Pistorius
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Tuesday 4 September
items: Move over Hollyoaks and The Simpsons, it's time for more Paralympics on Channel 4
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Monday 3 September
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Sunday 2 September
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Saturday 1 September
items: Tanni Grey-Thompson’s guide to Team GB’s superhumans
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Friday 31 August
items: Tanni Grey-Thompson: what to watch at the Paralympics
items: Paralympics 2012 - Georgie Bingham: you've never seen sport like this before
items: London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Thursday 30 August
items: London 2012: 10 Paralympians to Watch
items: Channel 4 to offer three dedicated Paralympic Games channels
items: Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan to front Channel 4 Paralympics coverage

Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey is this week's Radio Times cover star
type: item
date: 2024-08-20T08:00:18.000Z
creator: Shem Law
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: She's Britain's most decorated Paralympian, but don't dare tell her she's brave and courageous.
encoded: When we began planning this week's issue of Radio Times for the Paralympic Games in Paris, there was one person we simply had to talk to - cover star Sarah Storey. She will be competing at her ninth Games, an amazing record that no one will be able to better. The 47-year-old tells us how she first competed as a swimmer at the Barcelona Games in 1992 and how she then decided to change disciplines to road cycling and has since become our most decorated Paralympian. It's an unbelievable achievement, but what Storey tells us - as does former Paralympian and disability rights campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and all the other people we talk to - is that the Paralympics is about sport and not disability. They are elite athletes who happen to have a disability. Paralympic GB athletes train just as hard as their Team GB colleagues, can suffer the same injuries (and several different ones) in the pursuit of excellence. None of them wants sympathy or to be called superheroes. The athletes also talk about important wider issues. As Storey says, "In day-to-day life, we add hurdles to people with disabilities, because we forget to think about them. The London Paralympics might have been inspiring, but it didn't change the fact that disabled people are still left on trains because there are no ramps, or that people leave Lime bikes lying on the pavement. All of that matters." Let's hope that when the cheering stops we start to see changes in society that will benefit all disabled people. But first the sport. This year Channel 4 has increased its usual excellent coverage and we have comprehensive, extended listings to guide you through the action every day of the Games. Don't miss a moment! The Paralympics 2024 issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Also in this week's Radio Times: 'Farm strength' and a silver racing wheelchair with pink stars inspired Sammi Kinghorn to become our fastest sprinter. After treatment for breast cancer, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy…

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Memories of 2012 revived in another golden summer
type: item
date: 2013-07-20T05:42:00.000Z
creator: Colin Murray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Colin Murray is ready for some more Olympic-esque sporting glory
encoded: Paralympians race back Every so often, the heady aroma of London 2012 flirts with the nostrils, as we enjoy yet another summer that will be remembered, rehashed and reinvented for the rest of this century. After Andy Murray’s Centre Court success, it’s time to revisit the 120 medals that dangled around the necks of Britain’s Paralympians, in a Games that changed the face of disabled sport and lifted its profile higher than it has ever been before — due in no small part to Channel 4’s commitment to covering it. And they’ll turn on the cameras again for the Paralympic world championships from Lyon, as rivalries are renewed between the likes of Britain’s Jonnie Peacock and the USA’s Richard Browne in the T44 100m, with both of them in sparkling form and hopefully making the final on Tuesday. Whether it’s Hannah Cockroft, Richard Whitehead, Dan Greaves or other now familiar names, let’s hope there’s more being polished than Channel 4’s Bafta mask come the end of this tournament. Athletics: Paralympic World Championships Daily from Sat 2.15pm More4; Tue 9.45am, 3pm, Wed 11.30am, 3pm 5 Live Sp Ex; Wed 7pm 5 Live Ready, get wet, go! On the very same day that the Paralympic action starts, so do the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona — which serves up less happy memories, but a chance for Britain’s 27-strong squad to restore some pride after Olympic disappointment and funding cuts. There’s diving and water polo this week, with the action in the pool starting on 28 July. Olympic 200m breaststroke silver medallist Michael Jamieson will spearhead the British assault. But he’ll be without the help of Liam Tancock and the like, left out because their events will not feature at Rio 2016. And it’s success in Brazil that those who pay for the swimming hats and goggles want to see. World Aquatics Championships Daily from Sunday 9am British Eurosport Feed that Ashes hunger Both of the above championships should benefit, coverage-wise, from a break from the Ashes. For those suff…

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London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Victory Parade - live blog
type: item
date: 2012-09-10T11:20:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Can't make it down to the Parade in person to celebrate with the athletes? We'll keep you up to date with reports and photos direct from the event
encoded: From 1:30pm today, around 800 of Team GB's Olympic and Paralympic athletes - ranging from Mo Farah to Jessica Ennis, Hannah Cockcroft to Jonnie Peacock - will make their way from Mansion House to The Mall in 21 open-topped floats to celebrate a combined haul of 185 medals, 63 of them gold. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to turn out to cheer Britain's sporting heroes, including 14,000 Games volunteers. But if you can't make it to the parade in person, don't worry, we're here to keep you up to date with everything that's going on, backed up by tweets and photos from our reporter on the ground. Click here for our handy guide to how to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes' Parade.

David Blunkett: Once the Paralympic euphoria has melted away, what will be its legacy?
type: item
date: 2012-09-09T11:00:00.000Z
creator: David Blunkett Mp
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: "The commitment to attending, viewing and celebrating the endeavour displayed at the Paralympics is answer enough"
encoded: The spectacle is nearly over. Soon world attention will move elsewhere, the Olympics and Paralympics are coming to an end. But what a spectacle, what an uplift, and what surprises. Quite simply, didn’t we do well? The brilliance of the Olympic Games goes without saying. In fact, there has been so much said that it would be tedious repetition to say any more except, phew! But the Paralympics are something else. Once the euphoria has melted away, what will be their legacy? My answer is simple. People. Those who succeeded in lifting the spirits, energising the enthusiasm and inspiring the athletes of the future. But there is more. The 70,000 volunteers who helped with the Olympics and Paralympics – their talent, commitment, the benefit they gave and received from offering their time mustn’t be lost. The volunteer database can be used to ensure that people are offered such opportunities, reflecting their interests, their stage in life and where they live. We must draw down on that enduring gift. So, what of the Paralympics? Here I have to make a confession. The Paralympics was a post-war invention, a reflection of the miraculous recovery, spiritual as well as physical, of those at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It was some years after that when I became aware that there was such a thing as the emerging Paralympics. And, yes, I was sceptical. I was worried on a number of counts. Would this appear patronising? Would it, in the minds of some, lead to ridicule? We know how cruel the world can be. I was wrong. The commitment to attending, viewing and celebrating the endeavour displayed at the Paralympics is answer enough. The millions who bought tickets. The excellence of performance and display of dedication and the message to those who still write off those with a disability because of unfamiliarity, ignorance or, dare I say it, fear. In one sense I had been reflecting my own ambivalence about sport in my school days. I enjoyed football with ball bearings in the ball and crick…

London 2012: behind the scenes for Team GB's medal-winning moments
type: item
date: 2012-09-09T09:00:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: As Britain's triumphant Olympic and Paralympic athletes prepare to take their final bow, Radio Times talks to their biggest fans - their families
encoded: First there was that memorable Saturday night when Britain’s poster girl for the 2012 Games rose to meet all the lofty expectations of her and won gold in the heptathlon. Then there was the great homecoming to Sheffield when 20,000 people filled the streets to catch a glimpse of the famous local girl. Now Jessica Ennis is preparing to meet the public again, at the athletes’ parade through London. “It’s all been overwhelming,” she says. “The support I’ve received has been immense. Never in my wildest dreams did I think, when I started out in the sport, that it would lead to this. People have been so supportive and have made me feel incredibly proud to be British. I’d love to run up to every one of them and thank them for their support and tell them how much it means to me.” She’ll have a chance to say her thank yous on Monday when she and the other famous names from the Olympics and Paralympics ride through London on open-top buses. “There are some days that are just wonderful, really special, and I know that will be one of them. A chance to meet the fans who have made it all worthwhile. I can’t wait. Andy Rutherford, father of the long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford "I jumped up to do a fist pump and actually punched myself in the face!" “The atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium was absolutely awesome. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. It was so intense that on Greg’s first jump he actually ran through [the sandpit]. I think the crowd got to him, he lost a bit of focus when he was coming down the runway. “On his second attempt he jumped 8.21m. I knew that was a decent jump and, I couldn’t help myself, I jumped up to do a fist pump and actually punched myself in the face! All I can say is it’s a good job Greg got his mum’s co-ordination, not his dad’s… “When he got the gold it was an amazing feeling – a mixture of relief and being totally ecstatic at the same time. The relief came from the fact that he had been trying for so many years and, for wh…

London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Friday 7 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-07T09:00:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Unbeaten for 13 years, Esther Vergeer has another chance to win gold in today's medal match. Also in action is wheelchair racer Shelly Woods and British medal hopefuls in the Aquatics Centre
encoded: Wheelchair Tennis It must be dispiriting to go on court and face Esther Vergeer. The Dutch wheelchair tennis champion is unbeaten since 2003. In one of the most supreme winning streaks in any sport she has, incredibly, won her last 468 matches. Making the final once again means she has now been number one in the world for 13 years. I certainly wouldn’t bet against her winning gold today. David Butcher Esther Vergeer takes on fellow Dutchman Aniek Van Koot in the women's gold medal match at 12pm, C4 Para 1 Swimming Good news for ParalympicsGB in the pool, with Sascha Kindred (S6 50m butterfly), Louise Watkins and Lauren Steadman (S9 100m freestyle) and James Clegg (S12 50m freestyle) all qualifying for this evening's finals. Sascha can take his overall medal tally to 13 if he finishes on the podium this evening. James Gill Louise and Lauren race in the S9 100m at 5:37pm, Sascha Kindred goes for his 13th medal at 6.23pm and James Clegg races in the S12 50m final at 7:49pm, all on C4 Para1, with updates on C4 Athletics: Women’s T54 1500m final Shelly Woods won her heat on the way through to tonight’s final, and says she was inspired by Britain’s success so far. And well she might: ParalympicsGB has already passed their pre-Games target of 103 medals, and there’s still three days of competition left. Can Shelly Woods and compatriot Jade Jones keep the tally ticking? JG Watch Shelley Woods and Jade Jones go in the T54 1500m final at 9:08pm, C4, C4 Para 3

London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Thursday 6 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-06T07:55:00.000Z
creator: James Gill
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: David "Weirwolf" Weir is aiming for his third gold of the Games tonight. And Oscar Pistorius races in the 100m against British world record holder Jonnie Peacock
encoded: Athletics: T54 800m 9:16pm, C4 The stamina of David Weir is truly astounding – having already won gold in the 5000m and the 1500m, this evening he defends his 800m crown before racing in the marathon on Sunday. The secret to his success? His gloves, according to Tanni Grey-Thompson: “Dave races on very soft gloves so you can’t hear his acceleration,” she says. “Virtually everyone else races on solid plastic gloves, so as soon as they change their speed you can hear their hands slapping against the chair. But with Dave you can’t.” Athletics: T44 100m 9.24pm C4 Tonight also sees the battle of the Blade Runners, as Oscar Pistorius attempts to fend off the challenge of British world record holder Jonnie Peacock and 2011 World Champion Jerome Singleton. Pistorius won gold in the T42-46 4 x 100m relay last night, but suffered a controversial defeat to Brazilian Alan Oliveira in the 200m – will that spur him on to beat his rivals tonight? Cycling: Women's Individual Road Race (C4-5) Updates from 2.32pm, C4 Sarah has been the Storey of the Games (see what I did there?) winning three gold cycling medals for ParalympicsGB already. The 34-year-old has a great chance for a fourth this afternoon at Brands Hatch, the venue for Paralympics road cycling, which would boast her gold medal tally to a record-equalling eleven - matching Tanni Grey-Thompson's haul.

Paralympics 2012: Jonnie Peacock on his hero and rival Oscar Pistorius
type: item
date: 2012-09-05T13:00:00.000Z
creator: Terry Payne
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: "Oscar's a hero to me. But on the track, I just want to beat him"
encoded: Jonnie Peacock is delighted to be described as Britain’s very own blade runner. The man the name was coined for remains his inspiration, even though Pistorius is one of Peacock’s fiercest rivals for a medal in the 100m. “Oscar’s a bit of a hero to me,” he declares. “I’ll always look up to him.” Peacock, 19, had his right leg amputated below the knee when he was just five years old after contracting meningitis. Doctors at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge had feared that the rampant infection would kill him and told his mum Linda to say her goodbyes. As he slipped into a coma, she whispered to him to “keep fighting”. “That’s what I did then and I’ve tried to do ever since,” he says. He was soon climbing trees and playing football – he recalls a penalty kick where his artificial leg flew off after striking the ball. “The keeper didn’t know what to save,” he laughs. Peacock’s decision to take up sprinting came after watching Pistorius in action. Since then he has taken a massive 2.4 seconds off his personal best, culminating in a world record-breaking run of 10.85 seconds in the United States at the end of June, smashing the time (10.91) previously posted by Pistorius in their amputee class. Peacock’s belief that he can run even faster promises to make his event on 5 and 6 September one of the highlights of the Games. “I can definitely go quicker. Oscar is the 100m Paralympic champion and he won’t want to lose his crown. But if everything goes right on the day, we will see something special.” Liverpool football fan Peacock – his grandfather played for both of the big Merseyside clubs – admits that his early teenage years were difficult. “The walk home from school that should have taken me 15 minutes took an hour because my leg was so sore. So there were a few tears, with me thinking, ‘Why me?' But my mum always said that the greatest pain for me would not have been from my leg, but me not being able to join in.” Today, he won’t countenance talk of his life being some…

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London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Tuesday 4 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-04T08:30:00.000Z
creator: James Gill
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Today's the day to try something new: explore the intriguing sport of Boccia, before cheering on regular favourites David Weir and Ellie Simmonds later this evening
encoded: Boccia Regular updates from 9am C4 It may be a sport unfamiliar to most viewers, but Boccia (pronounced bot-cha) is very easy to become hooked by. Similar to French boules, Boccia is a tactical throwing game where each player aims to land six leather balls as close to a target ball as possible. Nigel Murray is Britain’s most successful player with two golds and one silver medal; after losing in the semi-finals, today the seasoned master joins forces with rising young star David Smith in the team event bronze medal match, starting at 10:35am. Great Britain's match against Portugal starts at 10:35am. Athletics From 9.15am C4 In the stadium, David Weir will be pushing to defend his T54 1500m title but he will have to stay ahead of Paralympic marathon champion Kurt Fearnley from Australia. The Paralympics GB legend has already claimed a fantastic victory in the 5000m on Sunday night, but why stop at one when you can have four? Dorset’s Paul Blake will also be competing on the track in the T36 400m. The T36 400m final is at 20:45pm and the T54 5,000m final is at 21:49pm, both on Channel 4. Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 Ellie Simmonds is racing for gold yet again in the S6 50m freestyle. Heather Frederiksen is also looking to continue Paralympics GB success in the pool when she goes in the S8 100m backstroke. The S8 100m backstroke final is at 17:37pm and the S6 50m freestyle final is at 17:52pm.

Move over Hollyoaks and The Simpsons, it's time for more Paralympics on Channel 4
type: item
date: 2012-09-03T09:10:00.000Z
creator: Susanna Lazarus
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Broadcaster "clearing the schedules" to bring viewers more of London 2012 Paralympic Games on flagship channel
encoded: Aside from the backlash following repeated ad breaks during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, it's been a pretty good week for Channel 4. Since competition began last Wednesday the broadcaster has enjoyed big audiences, with a peak of 3.3m tuning in to watch Team GB's Superhuman Saturday medal-winning athletes, including the 2.9m who cheered on 17-year-old swimmer Ellie Simmonds as she won gold in the 400m S6 freestyle. The broadcaster topped expectations on Saturday night as the most watched channel in the UK between 5:50pm and 6:30pm, enjoying its biggest Saturday ratings share in seven years and beating Simon Cowell's game show Red or Black? presented by Ant and Dec. As a result the network has decided to increase coverage on their flagship channel, switching popular late-afternoon shows The Simpsons, Deal or No Deal and Come Dine With Me to its sister channel More4 to make way for more Paralympics coverage. In addition, its evening showing of Hollyoaks - which has so far interrupted primetime Paralympics coverage on Channel 4 - will now be shown on E4 at its usual time of 6:30pm between September 3 and September 10, with the customary first look of the next episode following as normal at 7pm. Following the rescheduling, the channel will now show daily Paralympics coverage from 7am to 11:15pm, with just a 30-minute break for the Channel 4 News at 7pm. Jay Hunt, chief creative officer at Channel 4 said: "The coverage of the Paralympics has completely captured the public's imagination. We are clearing our schedule to bring viewers even more of this fantastic sport." Team GB's medals total now stands at an impressive 56, with 17 golds from the likes of star athletes David Weir, Ellie Simmonds, Richard Whitehead and Sarah Storey. A Locog spokesman said: "The whole of the UK has taken the Games to its heart. As soon as tickets have been released, they have been snapped up."

London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Monday 3 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-03T08:15:00.000Z
creator: James Gill
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Husband and wife Sascha and Nyree Kindred are both competing in the Aquatics Centre today, while 16-year-old wheelchair racer Jade Jones is in action on the track
encoded: Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 It’s a busy day of swimming with a host of British medal hopefuls including the golden couple of the pool Sascha and Nyree Kindred. They have a combined medal haul of over 20 golds in international competitions, and both have the opportunity to add to that tally today. Sascha will compete first in the Men’s SM6 200m individual medley before cheering on his wife as she races alongside Ellie Simmonds in the women’s heats. Ellie has already won one gold medal on Saturday in the 400m freestyle – can she double her tally today? Equestrian From 2.45pm C4 Keep an eye out for Lee Pearson this afternoon as he aims to recover from his shock defeat on Saturday by winning the Individual Freestyle test this afternoon. He can still equal Tanni Grey-Thompson's record 11 golds of he wins gold today. Athletics From 9.15am (finals from 7pm) on C4 16-year-old wheelchair racer Jade Jones has had the best possible education, having been coached by Tanni Grey-Thompson and her husband. Today she can put that training into practice as she races in the T54 400m heats. David Weir is also competing in the T54 1500m heats. Wheelchair Basketball From 11am live on C4 Para2, updates on C4 The final group match of the Wheelchair Basketball sees Team GB looking to leave the group stages on a high against Japan. A win will secure their place in the quarter finals.

London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Sunday 2 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-02T06:00:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Stefanie Reid jumps for gold in the stadium, Butterworth, Kenny and Waddon round off the final day of track cycling, and it's medal time in the table tennis
encoded: Athletics From 9.15am C4 At the Beijing Paralympics Stefanie Reid competed in Canadian colours and won a bronze medal. These days she has seen sense (her parents were British) and is looking to go better on her adopted home turf with ParalympicsGB. Often described as a sprinter, Reid is also a top-class long-jumper and goes in that event today, having raced yesterday in the T44 100m. Also aiming to get in the winning habit today will be Shelley Woods in the T54 5000m final, while Beijing silver medallist Ben Rushgrove aims to go one better in the T36 100m. He’ll have to beat his teammate (and world record holder) Graeme Ballard first. David Butcher Cycling Mixed sprint finals from 3.25pm on C4 ParalympicsGB’s first medals of the Games came in the Velodrome, and on this, the final day of track cycling competition, there’s a chance for at least one more in the mixed team sprint. Jon-Allan Butterworth, Darren Kenny and Rik Waddon make a formidable trio, but can they round off another successful British cycling performance with the gold? James Gill Table Tennis Medal match updates all day on C4 We may have missed out on winning ‘Wiff Waff’ gold in the Olympics, but in the Paralympics we have a real table tennis star in the making. Will Bayley is the top-ranked player in class 7, so fingers crossed he features in the 5.15pm finals. JG Football 5-a-side GB v Argentina begins 3.30pm on C4 Para 3 Argentina; England football’s perennial stumbling block. Maybe Dave Clarke and his British side will have better luck when they face them in this afternoon’s five-a-side group stage match. JG

London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Saturday 1 September
type: item
date: 2012-09-01T06:00:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Oscar Pistorius runs in the Paralympics for the first time today, Ellie Simmonds is in action in the Aquatics Centre, and Lee Pearson begins his trot to triple gold glory
encoded: Athletics From 9.15am on C4 The most famous Paralympian of them all takes to the London track today. The sponsorships, the adverts, the adulation, they all mean nothing if Oscar Pistorius can’t deliver where it counts, starting with this morning’s T44 200m heats. As for British hopes, the remarkable Richard Whitehead will go in the T42 200m. Whitehead may be the best person to judge whether life is in fact a marathon or a sprint: he holds the world record for the T42 Marathon but made a radical switch to the 200m and now holds the record in that too. David Butcher Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 Ellie Simmonds defends the first of the two titles she won in Beijing as she competes in the S6 400m, but she will have to fend off fellow Brit Natalie Jones and world record holder Victoria Arlen, who won her appeal against the recent decision to reclassify her. James Gill Wheelchair Tennis From 11am on C4 Peter Norfolk, affectionately known as “the Quadfather”, is a quadriplegic tennis player who took gold in Athens and Beijing. He was also the flag bearer for ParalympicsGB in the opening ceremony. Can the 51-year-old win three Paralympics in a row? The first rounds of the wheelchair tennis start today. JG Equestrian From 2.45pm on C4 Lee Pearson continues his quest to win three gold medals as he competes in the individual 1b test this afternoon. William Hill is offering odds of 1-4 that he wins all three, but Austrian Pepo Puch is a challenging rival. JG

Tanni Grey-Thompson’s guide to Team GB’s superhumans
type: item
date: 2012-08-31T09:00:00.000Z
creator: James Gill
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Britain's most successful Paralympian reveals the hidden tactics and secrets to success behind some of the Brits going for gold in these Games
encoded: You’re commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live during the Paralympics. Are you worried about having to explain all the classifications to listeners? The first thing to say is that if you don’t know what each classification is, don’t worry about it! All you need to know is that each classification is based on how an athlete’s impairment affects their ability to do that sport. Basically, 11-13 means blind or visually impaired; 20 is for learning disabilities; anyone in the 30s has cerebral palsy; 40s are amputees; and 50s are wheelchair users. But you don’t really need to know all the numbers: just know that an athlete competes against someone with similar attributes – a bit like boxing. Some athletes, like wheelchair racers David Weir and Shelly Woods, seem to be competing in loads of events. How do they manage it? It’s hard training, but actually wheelchair racing is a lot like cycling where you have athletes competing in a number of events. You wouldn’t get a runner training for the 100m, 200m and 400m, for example, but in wheelchair racing that’s really common. David Weir is one of our great medal hopefuls. He competes in the T54 800m, 1500m, 5000m and the marathon – is he ready for all that? He was the only gold medallist from Beijing in athletics; that puts huge pressure on him. But he’s been really smart, he’s not over-raced, he’s just done the races he’s had to do. And he can win four golds. What’s his secret? Dave is strong, he’s smart, and he can read a race. The interesting thing is that he races on very soft gloves so you can’t hear his acceleration. Virtually everyone else races on solid plastic gloves, so as soon as they change their speed you can hear their hands slapping against the chair. But with Dave you can’t. So he’s the silent assassin? That sounds good. Even if people are watching him closely, they don’t notice his acceleration until it’s too late. It’s such a pleasure to watch him race, because you can’t predict him. You and your husband coach anothe…

London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Friday 31 August
type: item
date: 2012-08-31T07:35:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Wheelchair racing legend David Weir goes for the first of four medals in the stadium. Plus Tom Aggar races in the men's single sculls and the five-a-side football kicks off
encoded: Athletics from 9.15am C4, 6.25pm More4 The track and field programme gets under way in the Olympic Stadium today, with several of GB’s best-known Paralympians in action, including David Weir, who won GB’s only two athletics golds in Beijing. Weir is perhaps the world’s top all-round wheelchair racer and this afternoon begins the defence of his title in the blue riband event, the T54 1500 metres. Another wheelchair athlete to watch is 20-year-old Hannah Cockroft, reigning world champion in the T34 100m and looking for her first gold medal at 8.15pm. Plus, Blackpool’s Shelly Woods opens her account in the T54 5000m heats hoping to put memories of Beijing behind her: Woods came second in 2008 but the home straight of the final saw an ugly pile-up that meant the whole race had to be re-staged, and second time round she slipped to bronze. David Butcher Rowing: Men's single sculls From 9.15am C4 Tom Aggar, a 28-year-old from London, must be an intimidating opponent for the other rowers at Eton Dorney: his evident upper-body strength is one thing but his competition record is an imposing one. Since taking up the sport after an accident in 2005 broke his spine and ended his promising rugby career, Aggar has proved unbeatable at solo, arms-only sculling, picking up gold at Beijing, several world championship titles and numerous records. He is the heavy favourite here but insists that the competition has grown much stronger since rowing made its Paralympics debut four years ago. Jack Seale Swimming From 9.15am C4, 6.25pm More4 If you thought the Brownlee brothers in the Olympics triathlon was a great sibling success story, just wait until you see swimmers Sam and Oliver Hynd, two brothers competing in the morning heats of the S8 400m Freestyle. Sam (21) and Oliver (17), who both have a form of muscular dystrophy, came first and second in the Paralympic European Championships last year. If all goes well in the heats, they will compete for family bragging rights once again in t…

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Tanni Grey-Thompson: what to watch at the Paralympics
type: item
date: 2012-08-30T13:45:00.000Z
creator: Dame Tanni Grey Thompson
subject: News
subject: Radio
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: audio
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: The eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist picks her six unmissable sports and the athletes set to shine over the London 2012 competition
encoded: Athletics I may be biased given that it was my sport, but the wheelchair racing is going to be very exciting. In particular, watch out for the 800m and 1500m races. These are very tactical, with competitors using their 6ft long chairs to try and slipstream each other, much like cyclists do. So it’s cat and mouse and calls for stamina as well as tactical thinking. Team GB's David Weir will be competing in both (from Wed 5 and Mon 3 Sep respectively), defending the Olympic titles he won in 2008 in Beijing. He’s the current world number one and world record holder, so if Dave performs as we all hope, expect the crowd to offer an ecstatic reception of Mo Farah proportions on the home straight. Also look out for wheelchair racer Shelly Woods who will be competing at four distances this year - the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and the marathon - which makes for a really tough week, but I'm sure she'll be ready. Shelly is the world record holder in the 1500m and has made huge leaps in the past couple of years. She's still a young girl at 26 and women's racing is going through a really strong patch, but she's got the ability and potential to win. We all need to pray for rain - if it's cold, miserable and wet, Shelly really comes into her own! I think the 100m, with British sprinter Jonnie Peacock and the South African Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius, is going to be one of the best, most competitive races of the Paralympics. It's Oscar's toughest race, because he's stronger over 200m. Jonnie broke the world record in his last competition before selection, so he's in great shape. There's also an American athlete called Jerome Singleton who beat Oscar at last year's world championships - he's really sweet, and always calls me "ma'am" when I see him." The men's T54 800m final is on Thursday 6 September at 9:07pm. The women's T54 1500m final takes place on Friday 7 September at 8:41pm. The men's T44 100m final is on Thursday at 9:16pm. Equestrian Until recently riders had to draw lots for th…

Paralympics 2012 - Georgie Bingham: you've never seen sport like this before
type: item
date: 2012-08-30T11:45:00.000Z
creator: James Gill
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: The Channel 4 and talkSPORT presenter talks about swatting up on Boccia and being bowled over by blind football
encoded: Georgie, covering the Paralympics is something quite new for you. Are you excited? Well, to be honest before I was really envious of all the BBC staff doing the Olympics! But now I’m really excited that I’m at the forefront of something that has never really been done before on this scale. If anywhere is going to embrace the Paralympics it’s going to be Great Britain, the place where it all began. I’ve done some pretty cool stuff in my career, but if you can do something that’s a first, that’s always nice. It must have been a steep learning curve for you. How did you cope with learning about all these different sports? I was aware of quite a lot of Paralympic sport, but most of us have never been given the opportunity to cover it properly before. Having known for a long time that I was going to be involved, I’ve managed to get myself to events where I can actually see first hand some of the sports I may not have seen before. There are couple of Paralympic specific sports like Boccia and Goalball that I’d never even heard of until about a year ago, so I’ve had to learn them, but quite a few sports are similar to able-bodied sports, so that wasn’t a challenge. It’s all been quite fun really. What events do think will make people sit up and go ‘wow’? Everyone is looking forward to the wheelchair rugby because it’s absolutely vicious. It’s the only sport I think you have a welder as part of your team setup. Personally I’m also looking forward to the football. I work on talkSPORT on the Premier League, and the Paralympic adaptations of five-a-side blind football is remarkable – I mean the skills those guys have are just bonkers! We’ve had David Beckham and other Premier League footballers going to blind football workshops; when you put a blindfold on those kinds of players you realise how unbelievable our blind football team really is. Did you get to see Becks pulling on the blindfold? No, I didn’t sadly, but I did watch the video repeatedly! The thing about Beckham is t…

London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Thursday 30 August
type: item
date: 2012-08-30T07:00:00.000Z
creator: Radio Times Staff
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Catch all the key action from the first day of the Paralympics, including Team GB in wheelchair basketball and cyclist Sarah Storey lining up in the Velodrome
encoded: At last the action starts today. For those still pining away after losing their daily diet of Olympic drama, the next 12 days should more than fill the gap. But where do you start? RadioTimes.com will take you by the hand and offer daily guides to what to watch when. On your marks, get set, go (again)! Wheelchair Basketball From 1pm, C4 GB Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team open the action with their first preliminary match against the Netherlands. Later the 2008 bronze medal-winning GB men’s team, featuring London-bred star Ade Orogbemi, commence their campaign in the Basketball Centre against perennial rivals Germany. Wheelchair basketball keeps many of the rules of basketball, with two teams of five players, a standard sized court and a 10-foot high hoop. Dribbling, passing and moving at speed require exceptional hand coordination – players must bounce the ball after every two pushes of the wheels. See if you can spot how the defending team anticipates where the attacking dribbler will go: the secret is to watch the hand position on the wheels and the direction of the footplates. James Gill Cycling From 9.15am and 1pm, C4, then 3.25pm, More4 After the nation fell in love with our roaring Olympic cyclists, it’s the turn of GB’s para-cyclists to dish up drama in the velodrome. A key member of the squad rolling into action today is Sarah Storey, one of the very few athletes of any kind to have won gold medals in entirely separate sports – first in swimming, then in cycling. She won swimming golds at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona (aged just 14) then three more at Atlanta. After switching to cycling in 2005 she won two more golds at Beijing and will be looking for her eighth overall in tonight’s individual C5 pursuit. Meanwhile, teammate Darren Kenny will be defending his C3 1km Time Trial title alongside Beijing silver medalist Rik Waddon. David Butcher Archery and Shooting From 9.15am, C4 When the archery contest opens at the Royal Artillery Barracks today it ca…

London 2012: 10 Paralympians to Watch
type: item
date: 2012-08-29T08:14:00.000Z
creator: Interviews By Leo Moynihan
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: From a victim of the 7/7 bombings to a blind five-a-side footballer, here's the stories of the Paralympic athletes going for gold
encoded: Channel 4's Meet The Superhumans advert offers just a glimpse of the injuries and adversities that this year's London 2012 Paralympic athletes have had to overcome to reach the starting line of their chosen sports. Behind every athlete hoping to shine at the Games is a story of passion and courage - here are ten to watch out for: Name: Martine Wright Age: 39 Sport: Sitting Volleyball I remember 6 July 2005 so well. Everyone at my work watched the TV to hear the news; London had got the Olympic Games. We drank champagne. I wondered how I could get tickets. The following morning I was reading all about it on the Tube and then the bomb went off. I lost both my legs and spent eight months learning to walk again. And soon realised all my priorities had changed. I went back to my high-flying job but it didn’t seem right. I had my son, Oscar, in 2009 and knew I wanted to do something that would replace that drive and ambition I had in the workplace. In 2009 I went to a Paralympic Potential Day for amputees, tried volleyball and fell in love. We’re all out of our chairs, which is so liberating, and the competition is fierce. It’s a great event. The Games are going to be emotional. To be doing this in my city is so strange. I think maybe fate got me on that Tube and that maybe I was always supposed to go on this journey that finds me now as a proud Paralympian. Sitting volleyball semi-finals, Wednesday 5 September Name: Jody Cundy, MBE Age: 33 Sport: Cycling C4 I was born with a deformed right foot, which was amputated when I was three. I never shirked getting involved. Aged five, I went for my first swimming lesson and was saved from the bottom of the pool by one of the parents. That mishap didn’t put me off, though, and I went on to win three gold medals in the pool for Great Britain at three Paralympics between 1996 and 2004. A year after the 2004 Games I discovered the bike and haven’t looked back. I love the track. The Olympic Games, and specifically what has happened a…

Channel 4 to offer three dedicated Paralympic Games channels
type: item
date: 2012-08-15T13:25:00.000Z
creator: Susanna Lazarus
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: The live action will be available online and to Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat and Freeview HD customers
encoded: How will Channel 4 follow the BBC’s record-breaking coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games? You’re about to find out… The Paralympics broadcaster has announced details of three Paralympics Extra channels showing live action between August 30 and September 9 for Sky, Freesat, Virgin Media and Freeview HD customers. Sky customers will have access to video feeds through the Red Button as well as channels 450, 451 and 452 on the electronic programme guide while Freesat’s extra channels can be found at 150, 151 and 152. Both sets of high definition users will receive HD versions. Virgin Media will offer the extra channels at 550, 551 and 552 in HD and standard definition at 553, 554 and 555. Freeview HD customers won’t have extra channels, but they will get one additional video feed by pressing the Red Button while watching Channel 4 HD. As with the BBC, the Paralympics Extra channels will also be available online, alongside a dedicated Paralympic section of the channel’s website featuring live text commentary, news, results and medal tables. Channel 4 has also announced plans to launch Paralympic apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, offering news of the latest Paralympic action. More than 400 hours of live coverage will be broadcast in total, in a schedule dominated by the Games. The Paralympic Games Breakfast show, fronted by Rick Edwards and Kelly Cates, will air on Channel 4 from 7am, with a 45-minute highlights show from 10:30am. In addition to the live feeds, coverage will switch to More4 when not shown on the main channel. Presenting duties will be shared between Channel 4 news anchor, Jon Snow, who will front the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Jonathan Edwards who will co-host the mid-morning show with Daraine Mulvihill, and Clare Balding and former Paralympian Ade Adepitan who will present the daily peak time show. Georgie Bingham will also be presenting alongside wheelchair racer Arthur Williams - a product of Channel 4's national talent search…

Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan to front Channel 4 Paralympics coverage
type: item
date: 2012-02-28T15:40:00.000Z
creator: radiotimesteam
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Olympics
subject: Paralympic Games 2012
description: Broadcaster promises "all day everyday" coverage for the biggest TV event in its 30-year history
encoded: Sports broadcaster Clare Balding and TV presenter and former Paralympic basketball medallist Ade Adepitan will host Channel 4's coverage of the London Paralympic games in August and September. The schedule will be cleared for a full eleven days to make room for 150 hours' worth of coverage; this amounting to the biggest broadcasting event in Channel 4's 30-year history. It will also be the most time ever dedicated to the Paralympics on British television in the history of the games. Balding and Adepitan will host peak-time coverage and will be joined by disabled Australian comedian Adam Hills who presented ABC's live coverage of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. T4 presenter Rick Edwards (who hosted four series of That Paralympic Show on Channel 4) and Olympic triple-jump legend Jonathan Edwards will provide comment and analysis throughout the games. Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow will front coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. As Channel 4 promised when they bid for the broadcast rights, fifty per cent of the presenting team will be disabled. Irish presenter Daráine Mulvihill and former Royal Marine Arthur Williams will also perform studio anchoring duties and are amongst seven new faces to come out of the broadcaster's star search for disabled talent in 2010. They'll be joined by former Paralympic swimmer Rachael Latham, sports reporter and wheelchair basketball player Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, former carpenter Martin Dougan, researcher Liam Holt and sports journalist Alex Brooker. A number of renowned athletes will also take part in the "all day everyday" coverage on Channel 4, including runners Iwan Thomas and Danny Crates, and swimmer Giles Long. Special breakfast and tea-time shows will provide highlights of the coverage that is being produced by Sunset & Vine and IMG Sports Media. In addition, a new dedicated website will provide in-depth analysis and highlights throughout the Paralympics. Jay Hunt, Chief Creative Officer at Channel 4, said: "Being the …