Paralympic Games

What is the Paralympic Games? To answer this question, I turned to the webiste of the International Paralympic Committee for some answers to the Paralympic Games. Similar to the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games is an elite international competition for athletes with disabilities. The emphasis of the Paralympic Games is on their sporting achievements.

Here is the quote from the International Paralympic Committee's website about the Paralympic Games:

"In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability were organized for the first time in Rome in 1960, now called Paralympics. In Toronto in 1976, other disability groups were added and the idea of merging together different disability groups for international sport competitions was born. In the same year, the first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Sweden.

Today, the Paralympics are elite sport events for athletes from six different disability groups. They emphasize, however, the participants' athletic achievements rather than their disability. The movement has grown dramatically since its first days. The number of athletes participating in Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 athletes from 23 countries in Rome in 1960 to 3806 athletes from 136 countries in Athens in 2004.

The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. Since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games and the Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympic Games they have also taken place at the same venues as the Olympics. On 19 June 2001, an agreement was signed between IOC and IPC securing this practice for the future. From the 2012 bid process onwards, the host city chosen to host the Olympic Games will be obliged to also host the Paralympic Games.

The Chinese city of Beijing will host the next 2008 Paralympic Games, whereas the Winter Paralympics 2010 will be in Vancouver, Canada. London will host the Paralympics in 2012 and Sochi will be the host of the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. "

Source: International Paralympic Committee, Paralympic Games

(click on chart to see Final Medal Tally)

Beijing Olympic Games Final Medal Tally Page 2

(click on image to see Final Medal Tally)

Beijing Olympic Games Final Medal Tally Page 3

Team Singapore Li Jiawei In Olympic Table Tennis Semi-Finals 2008

Li Jiawei of Team Singapore has qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Women's Singles Table Tennis Semi-Finals today. Singapore's Li Jiawei (Singapore) defeated Wang Chen (USA) 4 - 1 at the Peking University Gymnasium during the quarter-finals table tennis competition in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to keep the Singapore flag flying high.

Li Jiawei won her Olympic table tennis game 15:13, 11:6, 12:10, 13:15 and 11:4 to set up an Olympic Games Table Tennis semi-final encounter with number one seed Zhang Yining (China). Earlier, Zhang Yining had scraped through a tough fight during the quarter-finals table tennis match with Li Jiawei's Team Singapore compatriot Feng Tianwei.

Li Jiawei must be at her mental best to advance the flag of Team Singapore for the Olympic table tennis semi-final match because Li Jiawei had lost to Zhang Yining during the finals of the table tennis Team event competition.

While China's top seeded player is in good form, Li Jiawei must take comfort that compatriot Feng Tianwei from Singapore had done Singapore proud with her closely fought battle with China's Zhang Yining. Perhaps with this inspiration, Li Jiawei can gain table tennis insight on how to defeat China's number one table tennis player.

If Li Jiawei succeeds in her Olympic table tennis semi-final battle, she will be on her way to perhaps win an Olympic Gold or Silver medal for Singapore. If not, then the battle for an Olympic Bronze medal will be on for Li Jiawei from Singapore.

We wish Li Jiawei the best of luck in her attempt to win another Olympic table tennis medal for Singapore.

Keep up the great Olympic work, Team Singapore Table Tennis!!

Source: Team Singapore Table Tennis Quarter-Finals Result at Beijing Olympic Game

Read more:
1. Singapore Olympic Table Tennis Women's Singles Matches

Singapore Ping Pong: Wang Yue Gu Stopped in Round 3

Team Singapore Ping Pong player Wang Yue Gu was stopped from progressing further in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Women's Singles Ping Pong Round 3 Competition today.

Wang Yue Gu was defeated by Wu Xue of the Dominican Republic by a score of 4 - 1. Wang Yue Gu lost 11-9, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 12-10 in her Women's Singles ping pong round 3 competition.

Let's hope she will pick herself up and do better in ping pong games at the next Olympic games.

Olympic Table Tennis Singapore: Li Jia Wei Wins Women's Singles 3rd Round

Team Singapore table tennis player Li Jia Wei won her match 4-1 today at Peking University Gymnasium in her 3rd Round Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Women's Singles table tennis competition.

Singapore's Li Jia Wei defeated Croatia's Boros Tamara after her 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6 and 11-5 match to advance to Round 4 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Women's Singles table tennis competition.

Congratulations to Team Singapore Table Tennis star Li Jia Wei.

Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog hopes that you can progress further in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Women's Singles Table Tennis competition.

Best of luck in your next Olympic table tennis round!
Hopefully, Team Singapore Table Tennis can win another Olympic medal in table tennis.

Team Singapore Table Tennis: Feng Tianwei Wins Singles Third Round

Table tennis rising star Feng Tianwei from Team Singapore won her Beijing Olympic Table Tennis Women's Singles Third Round today. At the Peking University Gymnasium, Feng Tianwei defeated Dang Ye Seo of South Korea 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 and 11-5 in the best of seven games table tennis third round singles event.

Feng Tianwei took 29 minutes to demolish her opponent to win this third round of women's singles table tennis to book her entry into the next stage of the Women's Singles table tennis competition.

Let's hope Feng Tianwei progresses in this table tennis competition and hopefully she can continue Team Singapore's quest for another Olympic table tennis medal.

Congratulations to Team Singapore table tennis player Feng Tianwei!

Source: Feng Tianwei Results at Official Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Phelps: Most Incredible Olympian Water Baby

Michael Phelps has become the most incredible Olympian water baby at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Michael Phelps, the incredible water baby, has won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games. Michael Phelps has exceeded the Mark Spitz (other incredible water baby) record of eight Olympic Gold medals won at a single sitting of the Olympic Games.

This incredible water baby known to the world as Michael Phelps excelled in a total of eight swimming events: 400m individual medley, 200m medley, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.

Together with the six gold olympic medals that he won in Athens in 2004, Michael Phelps' incredible haul of 16 Olympic gold medals is also another incredible Olympic record.

This water baby is only 23 years old and he has achieved the Olympic pinnacle few can dream of and which no one else has achieved. It would also appear that he may add even more Olympic medals if he chooses to. That would really seal his incredible water baby swimming record for eternity.

I take my hat off to Michael Phelps!

Incredible!

image by SeenThisSceneThat

Olympic Silver Medal For Women's Team Table Tennis

Singapore made history when the women's table tennis team of Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu claimed their Olympic Silver medals today after their final women's team table tennis match against the team from China.

Since 9 Sep 1960 when Tan Howe Liang won a Silver medal after lifting his way to the second spot in the lightweight category of the Olympic weight lifting competition, no other Singaporean individual or team has won another Olympic medal.

When Singapore's Ng Ser Miang, Vice-President of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Executive Member of the IOC, gave out the Olympic Silver medals during a medal presentation ceremony at the Beijing University Gymnasium, Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu became the only other Singaporean medal winners (and only Singapore women winners, and Singapore team winner) at an Olympic Games.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge were present to witness the occasion during the live telecast of the women's team table tennis finals.

Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog congratulates Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu, plus the coach, support staff and everyone at Team Singapore Table Tennis who helped in one way or another to make this Silver medal win in women's team table tennis a reality.

Well done Singapore!

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Medals Count
(Top Ten Countries With The Most Medals)
at end of 11 August 2008:

Country - Gold Medal - Silver Medal - Bronze Medal - Total Medals

China 9 3 2 14

United States 3 4 5 12

South Korea 4 4 0 8

Italy 3 3 2 8

Russia 0 4 2 6

Australia 2 0 3 5

France 0 3 2 5

Japan 2 0 2 4

North Korea 0 1 3 4

Great Britain 2 0 1 3

Ronald Susilo Out of Beijing Olympic Badminton Men's Singles

News from Beijing Olympic Games, 11 August 2008:

Ronald Susilo of Singapore was defeated by Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in straights sets 21-13, 21-14 in the Badminton Men's Singles at the Round of 32.

Source: Official Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Tao Li 5th In Beijing Olympic Games Women 100m Butterfly Finals

Singapore swimmer Tao Li came in 5th in today's Beijing Olympic Games Women 100m Butterfly Finals.

She clocked 57.99 seconds, a shade slower than her timing in an earlier heats.

The first four swimmers in this Women 100m Butterfly event were:

1. Lisbeth Trickett, Australia, 56.73 seconds
2. Christine Magnuson, United States, 57.10
3. Jessicah Schipper, Australia, 57.25
4. Zhou Yafei, China, 57.84

Well done, Tao Li!

Source: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Official Website

Singapore's Swimmer Tao Li In 100m Olympic Games Butterfly Finals

Swimmer Tao Li of Singapore has qualified for the finals of the Beijing Olympic Games 100m butterfly event on Sunday.

She clocked 57.54 sec to come in as the fourth quickest qualifier among the swimmers in the qualifying rounds.

Australia's Lisbeth Trickett was the fastest at 57.05 sec.

American Christine Magnuson was second after she clocked 57.08 sec.

Australian Jessicah Schipper was third fastest at 57.43 sec.

The women's 100m butterfly finals will be held on Monday morning.

By her entry into the Olympic Games 100m Butterfly finals, she becomes the first Singapore swimmer to reach an Olympic final competition.

She may well be on her way to winning a medal if she can up her performance a notch in the 100m Butterfly finals at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Good job and all the best!

Youth Olympic Village For Singapore Youth Olympic Games (YOG)

In the Sunday Times published on 3 August 2008, it was announced that the Youth Olympic Village will be located at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Initially a $500-million, 19 ha University Town in Clementi estate was slated to be the new Youth Olympic Village. Currently still in the building phase, the project was due to be completed before the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2010.

The authorities have cited escalating building costs due to pricier materials that rose by up to 35% in the past year, as well as spiralling transport costs due to rising petrol and fuel costs.

My Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore YOG Organising Committee, was quoted as saying,"We decided to take the more prudent approach of having the Village at NTU."

In any case, NTU was already listed in the initial bid proposals as the back-up Youth Olympic Village. The International Olympic Committee IOC has already approved the change in venue.

NTU will be upgraded with air-conditioning added to the hostel rooms and sprucing up of the premises. Nearby schools and facilities may also be upgraded for use during the Youth Olympic Games.

With this change in Youth Olympic Village, competitors and officials will need to spend ten extra minutes to get to their competition venues, except for sportsmen and sportswomen competing in BMX and moutain biking in Tampines, and sailing in East Coast Park.

Thank you for reading Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog.

Chairmen of Advisory Committee For YOG Announced

Five chairmen were announced according to a Straits Times news report published on 30 July 2008.

They are:

Sports:
Tan Eng Liang

Culture and Education:
Sim Gim Guan and Loh Ngai Seng

Youth Engagement:
Koh Seng Leong

Community Outreach:
Mayor Zainudin Nordin

Business and Marketing:
Kwek Leng Joo

These five committees are set up to engage and involve the various sectors of Singapore in the coming Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in the year 2010.

The total budget proposed by the SYOGOC is at US$75.5 million (S$103m).