306 lines
7.7 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
306 lines
7.7 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sport
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othersports
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olympics
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8442954
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-----
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# London 2012 Paralympics: Richard Whitehead's marathon chances ended
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## Richard Whitehead's hopes of taking part in the London 2012 Paralympic
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Games marathon appear to have ended, with the double leg amputee accusing the
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International Paralympic Committee of "losing an opportunity" to promote
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disability sport.
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![London 2012 Paralympics: Richard Whitehead's marathon chances ended][1]
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Simply the best: Richard Whitehead takes gold in Christchurch Photo: GETTY
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IMAGES
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By Telegraph staff and agencies 12:32PM BST 11 Apr 2011
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[Comments][2]
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The 34-year-old from Nottingham is classified as a T42 runner and was hoping
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to compete alongside arm amputees in the T46 marathon in the capital.
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Whitehead, a congenital double leg amputee who runs using prosthetic legs, was
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not permitted to compete in the IPC Athletics World Championships marathon in
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New Zealand in January and challenged the IPC regulations which state leg
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amputees cannot compete alongside arm amputees in the Court of Arbitration for
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Sport.
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However, CAS ruled in the IPC's favour, insisting classes should not be mixed
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where the impairment affects a different part of the body and the IPC this
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week are set to announce there will be no marathon event for leg amputees in
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London.
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Whitehead won the T42 200 metres world title in Christchurch in January and
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will be able to run on the track in pursuit of gold in London, but the
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marathon is where his heart lies.
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He said "I feel the IPC are losing an opportunity to get to the heart of what
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sport is all about with the marathon.
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## Related Articles
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* ['GB on track for medal bid'][3]
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07 Apr 2011
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* [Whitehead storms home for gold][4]
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24 Jan 2011
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* [Fachie named Athlete of the Month][5]
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06 Apr 2011
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* [IOC aims to avoid Semenya repeat][6]
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05 Apr 2011
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* [London to host Paralympics Day][7]
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05 Apr 2011
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* [British Para-cyclists ready to take on the best][8]
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11 Mar 2011
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"They should be looking to show disability sport in the great light that it is
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and by not having the marathon for amputees - or an open class accepting leg
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amputees as well as arm amputees - is disappointing not just for myself, but
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also for disability sport.
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"Sport's all about inclusion and if there isn't a marathon event for leg
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amputees in 2012 it's not promoting the right attitude towards [**Paralympic
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sport**][9] or disability sport.
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"The marathon is an iconic race and it inspires so many different people.
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"I don't think they've got any events within the Paralympic programme that
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have the same kind of impact as a running marathon.
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"A lot of leg amputees will be looking at the Paralympics for inspiration and
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if they just see an arm amputee event they're going to think leg amputees
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can't run - and obviously they can."
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Whitehead has written an open letter to IPC chief executive Xavier Gonzalez,
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pointing out one of the organisation's aims is to "promote the Paralympic
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values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality".
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Whitehead hopes to display those qualities when he bids to better his own
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world record of two hours 42 minutes - a time which ranks him in the top 10 of
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arm amputee runners - in Sunday's London Marathon.
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He added: "It's great having the opportunity to compete in an event (the 200m)
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where I can compete at the highest level and win and become a world champion.
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"But I also see the benefit of running in an event that inspires thousands of
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people to think more positively.
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"Sport's not just about the medals - sport's about participation and self-
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achievement and a marathon is about a journey."
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Whitehead, who ran his first marathon in 2004 and has competed across the
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world, maintains he will continue to compete over 26.2 miles and hopes he may
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get his Paralympic chance in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
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The IPC sympathise with Whitehead's situation, but also have challenges to
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overcome.
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An IPC spokesman said: "We're trying to organise an event that is a credible
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sporting contest.
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"What we're trying to do is make Paralympic sport easier to understand for the
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public.
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"We will not group classes together when the impairment affects a different
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part of the body."
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[Tweet][14]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/8442954/London-2012
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-Paralympics-Richard-Whiteheads-marathon-chances-ended.html
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Telegraph
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## [Olympics][15]
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* ### [Sport »][16]
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][27] [blog
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* [My Hay Festival speech on ethics in sporting events][34]
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** [Tanni-Grey Thompson][36] **
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* [Paralympic World Cup can help London 2012 be catalyst for success][36]
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Olympic features
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[![London 2012 Olympics: 20 questions with Nicole Cooke][37]][38]
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### [20 Questions][38]
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Team GB road cyclist **Nicole Cooke **talks to Telegraph Sport
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