Skip to main content

Oscar Pistorius: It might be over for him but Paralympic movement will survive - Laura Williamson

/li> 0 shares 0

comments

On Valentine’s Day, the world of disability athletics woke up preparing to trumpet the announcement of a dedicated day of Para-sport at the Olympic Stadium on July 28.

The talk was of  ‘excitement’ and ‘momentum’ because the world’s Paralympians will not be relegated to the sidelines for another four years.

But that world came crashing down as news of Oscar Pistorius’s arrest and Reeva Steenkamp’s death brought a stunned silence.

Shocking: Oscar Pistorius was charged with murdering his girlfriend on Valentine's Day at his Pretoria home

      More from Laura Williamson...   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Dingley won her battle but the war on bigotry is not over 02/06/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: How Miss Moneylegs is battling back from adversity after missing London 2012 through injury 26/05/13   Last 12 months have been a 'whirlwind' for Houghton as Arsenal Ladies look to add another FA Cup to packed trophy cabinet 25/05/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Peacock hopes to cut a dash and avoid blade row 19/05/13   Laura Williamson: Save me from the swirling madness as Fergie goes viral 12/05/13   Laura Williamson: The battle against doping should also include arrogant ball sports 05/05/13   Laura Williamson: British Athletics needs to seize the moment and cash in... just like Jess, Mo and Co 22/04/13   LAURA WILLIAMSON: Arsenal struggle to keep Wolf from the door as Germans earn first-leg advantage 14/04/13   Laura Williamson: Looking for some exposure? Maybe try exposing yourself 07/04/13   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

The most famous Paralympian on the planet had been charged with murder. Everything else seemed to pale into insignificance.

The first thing to state - clearly and unequivocally, not buried in a tasteless PR statement heralding Pistorius as ‘an inspiration to  others the world over’ - is that, no matter what went on in that house in Pretoria in the early hours of Thursday morning, Pistorius is not the victim in this atrocity. 

His athletics career is over and he looked a broken man in court, but the beautiful girl who lost her life and the grieving family she left behind are the ones who deserve our utmost sympathy and respect.

In this light, the very mention of sport seems crass. But Pistorius the athlete, the Olympian and Paralympian, was the only Pistorius most of us really knew.

It is only in those terms that we can accurately discuss him because anything else is simply guesswork - shocking, horrifying and unimaginable.

Many of us have been quick to dig out our old notebooks and recount the darker sides to his  personality that we perhaps encountered but ignored because  it felt deeply uncomfortable to  criticise someone who does not have any lower legs.

This is a horrible admission, I know, but it’s true.

I think Pistorius knew that too, and it allowed him to get away with  the most appalling rudeness by masking it in unfailingly polite terms of ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.

Glittering: Pistorius won six Paralympic golds with his last two coming at London 2012

Exposure: The Paralympic world was preparing to celebrate a dedicated day at the Olympic Stadium in July

WHAT THEY SAID

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic 100m champion, hit out at the scarcity of big-name clashes in men’s sprint events, pointing out that the top women race each other all the time. ‘I definitely think there should be a lot more clashes,’ she said. ‘I think it would get a lot more excitement, as opposed to just the one athlete competing with himself, basically.’

Pistorius the athlete, however, continued to attract universal praise - and rightly so.

You could not argue with his achievements on the track, and the way in which those successes helped to create a Paralympic movement that, at London 2012, finally lived up to its billing as the parallel Games.

Separate, but equal.

Pistorius was a dynamic force in that change; from a movement that forced David Weir to quit his sport in disgust after his experiences in Atlanta in 1996 to a range of disciplines that, in the eyes of many, are simply an alternative form of competitive sport.

Star: Jonnie Peacock lit up the Olympic Stadium with his 100m gold last summer

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

If women’s sport is to enjoy true equality we need to move on from patronising fancied teams when they lose. The England women’s cricket team failed to defend the World Cup in India, coming third as Australia triumphed.

Ellyse Perry shone in Sunday's final, taking three wicket in three overs as Australia beat the West Indies by 114 runs.

But the use of the past tense to describe Pistorius the athlete is deliberate: there is little chance of a future for the sprinter now, no matter what events unfold in South Africa.

The outlook for the movement he helped to invigorate, however, looks very different.

That might not have been the case if this awful news had come after the Beijing Games of 2008. 

But it can overcome this. There are other stars, other personalities and other performances now.

‘But that’s what Paralympic sport is about, isn’t it?’ said Sophia Warner, British Paralympian and the commercial director of UK Athletics.

‘Overcoming barriers to achieve the incredible.’ 

We were supposed to be talking on Friday about the London Anniversary Games, a landmark moment for Paralympic athletics, particularly for a woman who has spent the last 17 years ‘competing in front of 80 people’. And that’s what we did.

There was genuine sympathy and respect, but our conversation continued to look forward.

Given the circumstances, it seems the only thing we can do.

 

...AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WEEK

Watched Tottenham’s Portuguese manager, Andre Villas-Boas, correct an interpreter translating his English words into French ahead of Spurs’ Europa League tie against Lyon. Just brilliant. The interpreter did not look too pleased about it, mind you.

Translating: Andre Villas-Boas corrected an interpreter ahead of Tottenham's clash with Lyon

Not surprised that an Ofsted report highlighted there is not enough ‘physical’ activity in school PE, while praising the School Sports Partnerships programme the Government saw  fit to abolish unceremoniously.

Listened to the world 100m champion Carmelita Jeter talking about herself in the third person ahead of  the British Athletics Grand Prix in Birmingham. I love it when athletes do that; purely because such high levels of ego can never fail to amuse.

  More... We're on the road to Rio! Meet the seven young British athletes who Sportsmail will follow all the way to the Olympics in 2016 EXCLUSIVE: Pistorius was planning new life in a new home, says former school teacher Pistorius family deny murder charge 'in strongest terms' after Blade Runner has sobbing, shaking breakdown in court







Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o