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Sep 9, 2008
By John McBeth in Beijing

Veteran commentator John McBeth is providing a regular blog for tvnz.co.nz from Beijing as he covers the Paralympics.

September 18: Going out with a bang

The 2008 Paralympics have rushed to a grand climax.

The closing ceremony was last night at the National Stadium where the flame was doused and the official handover made to London, which will play host in 2012. 

These Paralympics have clearly been the most successful, with countless world records from the athletes and capacity crowds at every venue whether it was track and field or powerlifting. 

They have also seen an extraordinary increase in the number of hours produced for television. 

BBC in Great Britain produced live coverage daily as well as highlights. 

CCTV China has broadcast 10 hours a day, the same as the hours of live coverage being shown of Brazil's SPORTV. Australian viewers have been treated to 100 hours of live and delayed coverage as have Spainards through RTVE.

In South Africa, SABC aired live coverage including that of the opening ceremony. Many other countries including Japan, Germany and Canada have given prominence to the Paralympics by showing live or delayed coverage.

As well, there are many television companies here producing documentaires on this wonderful sporting event. The television coverage then has been massive, and of course it has been complemented by the internet which has been the only means of getting news for many people. 

Beijng has certainly set new standards for facilities, results, crowd attendances and television coverage. Those organising London's Paralympics must feel confident of success in four years time because i does seem that the Paralymics can only grow in popularity and exposure from this point on. 

On a personal note, it has been another wonderful experience.

I thought the Athens Paralympics set a remarkable standard, but they were just a teaser for this event. 

I've loved being involved and I hope the coverage you've seen has helped you to a better appreciation of what disabled people can achieve.

September 8: Pride for Paula

It was fantatstic and all Kiwis here felt enormous pride as we watched Paula Tesoriero win New Zealand's first medal at the Paralympics.

Nobody ever doubted the world record holder had the determination and ability to produce a gold-medal winning ride, but what she was required to do to win the time trial was quite extraordinary.

The world champion, Natalie Simanowski of Germany who rode immediately prior to Tesoriero, slashed the Kiwi's world mark and punched the air as if to say to Tesoriero ' beat that if you can".
So, as she took her position at the start and went through her pre-race regime, the Wellington cyclist felt nervous. She realised she needed to ride faster than ever before if the dream of gold was to be achieved.

She belted through the first 250 metres slightly quicker than the German and held her form to lower the world mark by half a second and secure the gold.

Ecstasy was evident amongst the New Zealand team members and Paula's family. My camera operator Suzie O'Connor was high-fiving anyone and everyone. It was a moment of pure elation, elation which was cut short when Paula's bike slipped from under her and she crashed heavily as she was warming down.

The corwd hushed. Officials rushed to her side to assist. Paula had landed awkwardly on her head. She was carried into the inner arena on strecther while her concerned parents and husband watched anxiously.

I spoke with the chef de mission Duane Kale, who said the doctor thought Paula might have fractured her jaw.

The extent of that injury will be known by now, but right there and then, even a broken jaw was not going to prevent Paula Tesoriero from enjoying the proudest moment of her sporting career- receiving a gold medal.

September 6: Brimming with emotion

The announcement of the New Zealand flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics produced one of the most emotional moments I've witnessed in a while.

I was part of a large crowd of Kiwis who attended a function at the New Zealand Embassy at the invitation of Paralympics New Zealand and our ambassador here, Tony Browne, and his wife Susan.

After a short time of mixing and chatting and sampling some very well-received New Zealand wine and beer, we were addressed by the ambassador whose welcoming speech set the tone nicely.

Chef de mission Duane Kale, who won a staggering six Paralaympic medals at the Games of 1996, also welcomed guests, thanked Mr Browne and then proceeded to deliver a heartwrenching tribute to one of our country's greatest Paralympians Graham Condon, who was sadly killed earlier this year in his home town of Christchurch.

Kale told the attentive audience that his personal lifetime achievements would not have happened without Condon's influence.

Middle distance runner Tim Prendergast, who's the team captain, delivered the much anticipated announcement that the flag bearer will be a member of the Wheel Blacks - Sholto Taylor.

I watched Taylor's expression as the announcement was made. He was in complete shock. His mouth hung open for a moment as the realisation set in. Then amidst much applause and cheering he wheeled up to the microphone and said,

"I won a gold medal in Athens and when I saw the medal around my neck, I knew it wouldn't get any better than that. When I watched the New Zealand flag being slowly raised and heard our anthem and we did the haka, that took second place, that was the second biggest thing to happen to me. Being given the honour of carrying the flag tops that."

My word he was impressive and there is no doubt he was a very popular choice. The Hawkes Bay man is at his fourth Paralympics and is part of a vastly experienced Wheel Blacks team.

He is an inspiration to this New Zealand Paralympics team in Beijing.

September 5: It all begins again

The action is about to start again here in Beijing. The Paralympic organisers have completed a very impressive opening ceremony dress rehearsal and, if the impact of this is any indication, the ceremony itself will be no less spectacular than that of the opening to the Olympics.

The produecers have involved a vast array of extraordinarily talented disabled Chinese artists. It wll be quite an emotional event, and that's an understatement.

I had the good fortune to spend some time with New Zealand powerlifter George Taamaru during the week. George had the misfortune to lose a leg as the result of a motorbike accident when he was a teenager in Rarotonga.

But this smiling giant- he's 143 kilograms now- has become a definite role model for the young people of New Zealand. He stresses the need to enjoy life, of how sport has enabled him to travel the world and meet some wonderful people, many of whom are far more disabled than him.

He also makes a point that Brian Lochore tried to make but was ridiculed by so many, that children should respect their elders particularly their parents. George says that if he had listened to and obeyed his parents he would have stayed at home the night of his accident, and would still have the use of two legs.

George Taamaru is a definite medal prospect. He's much tougher mentally than in 2004 when he failed to register a lift and he very much wants to see the New Zealand flag flying after his event.

While here in Beijing, I've been able to watch much of the Olympic Games coverage again. While the Paralympics are getting huge publicity, so too are the Olympics. That's right, the highlights and some key matches and events and being shown repeatedly.

The rights holders here are making the most of the money they have spent and there can be no complaints from their audience, good on them. 

I hope you enjoy the Paralympics.

Olympic videos are still available to NZ users to watch online. Click here


September 3: Back to normality!

It's been a difficult task trying to get back to something approaching normality following the 2008 Olympic Games.

It's not until a day or two after a full-on assignment like this ends, that the full extent of the physical and mental toll it takes out of those covering the event becomes clear.

Most of us ride the last few days on adrenalin, as the lack of sleep and abnormally long hours starts to kick in. At the end, people go down with colds or aches and pains and frequently recovery takes several days.

Then there's the problem of dealing with the sudden void. One day a person can be in a flat spin dealing with all sorts of Games related tasks and working with a large group of colleagues, the next day everyone says goodbye and the world seems quiet and grey.

I had more than my share of ill-health during the swimming at these Olympics and sometimes wondered if I would survive the next session, but I did and I have survived these few days since the Games.

I have previously mentioned my association with the Cancer Society of New Zealand and, in particular, the upcoming men's health campaign which begins this week. Before I departed for Beijing, a number of imitation daffodils were thrust at me, so on Daffodil Day I went to Tiananmen Square with a bunch to give to locals.

One youngster who shyly received one kept clinging to her mother. Now I am a most frightening bloke as many of you know, but this child seemed to be extraordinarily wary of me. I soon found out why.

"I am sorry" said her mother, " but you are the first foreigner she has ever seen. We are visitors to Beijing and where we come from, there are very few foreigners".

While I naturally felt very privileged, I also thought "Poor girl. I hope I did not scar her for life!"

However this was just another of many examples of the friendliness of the Chinese in Beijing. Always helpful and polite, they have made a very positive impression on thousands of visitors.

The Paralympics are only a few days way and Beijing has provided a magnificent welcome to all the athletes and officials. Every banner, every sign, every promotion of the Olympics has been replaced, almost overnight, by the word Paralympics. These Games will in no way suffer in comparison to the Olympics, in fact they could be the best ever.

Today I travelled to the airport to meet the Wheelblacks. Reacquainting myself with the team was a most enjoyable experience. They are all top guys, and I've got to know them quite well through the Athens Olympics and the world championships.

Grant Sharman, the coach, was effusive about the treatment his team had received from the moment they set wheels on Chinese soil, and he feels these Paralympics will be ones to remember.

The old hands are back - Geremy Tinker, Tim Johnson, Dan Buckingham, Curtis Palmer, Sholto Taylor and Jai Waite, plus a couple of relative newcomers in David Klinkhamer and Adam Wakeford.

After dropping down to about fifth in the world last year, the Kiwis are now ranked in the top three. Their chances of successfully defending the Olympic title depend very much on how well the Americans have kept their form, and on the improvement made by others such as Australia, Great Britian and Canada.

No matter what, the wheelchair rugby will be great to watch.

Read John's Olympic blog here