Levein"s managerial qualities are unspeakable ...
Tough group - but you have to actually try to win ... spew ...
Suitably annoyed we headed to the Paralympics ... Wheelchair Basketball finals at the 02 ...
20 mins before the off - the flickering signs of a migraine - and no pills on me - off to the first aiders - and then the doctors ... who are being asking me about my vision ... in the next cubicle a guy dressed as Elvis with a cardboard guitar ... is this some hallucinatory test ... no apparently he is a doctor ... so that okay ...
I am fading fast ... but they deal up some paracetemol and codeine and off we go back to the arena ... vision still impaired and they are whipping up a storm just before the off ... super weird sporting experience in terms of being spaced out ... but amazing in terms of skill and bravery ... flying out of wheelchair headfirst ... then doing a super press up to right themselves ... Canada won the final with their star player Patick Anderson in dazzling form.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Anderson_(basketball)
I loved the Paralympics - so much more than the Olypmics - felt more real in a way - people overcoming epic adversity and coming out all guns blazing ... The first event I watched was some female powerlifting ... the winner lifted 143kg ... are you kidding ... I have not been to the gym get to see what I could shift but I would guess something like 75kg!?!
I watched the goalball finals too ... a marvellous exhibtion of eccentric sportsman slinging medicine balls towards massive goals with the best technique for defending being to put your body on the line ... thud ...
Some very interesting tactics though ... sneaking around the court to take your opponents unawares ... epic time wasting by taking super slow shots at goal ... crowd booing this ... and being told to shut up by the refs as the players could not hear the ball coming ...
I will try to find a suitable clip ...
Closing ceremony was great though ... simpler and more effective than the Olympics ...
L