[source: miami herald]
Victoria Pendleton of Great Britain celebrates after winning gold in the Women's Keirin Track Cycling final on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Velodrome on August 3, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES)
LONDON -- It’s been nicknamed The Pringle for its sloped roof. It’s known as the Pleasuredome because of Great Britain’s success. Or you could call it the Thunderdome for the crowd noise that makes the walls shudder.
The most captivating building in Olympic Park also looks like a spaceship and the athletes zipping round and round inside look like aliens, clad in their aerodynamic skinsuits and teardrop helmets and perched on their gearless, brakeless, practically weightless machines.
Everything about the Olympic velodrome is designed to achieve maximum speed, and that’s just what track cyclists are feeling. They are riding at speeds up to 46 mph on the banked oval built to be the fastest on the planet.
The velodrome proved magical again Friday for a nation gone mad for cycling. The men’s team won team pursuit in world-record time. Victoria Pendleton, known everywhere as Vicky just as David Beckham is known as Becks, won the Keirin race.
The striking blue-eyed, black-haired Pendleton, given to emotional outbursts, swore she wouldn’t cry, but shed tears as she sang along to “God Save the Queen” on the medal podium.
“I hadn’t allowed myself to think about standing on the podium and if I started to, I shot the idea out of my mind,” Pendleton said. “I told myself, ‘Focus, Vic, focus.’ I just cannot believe this is true.”
The night before, Sir Chris Hoy won his fifth Olympic gold medal — as many as rower Sir Steve Redgrave, revered as the country’s greatest Olympian.
Princess Anne and Seb Coe were in the stands Friday, following the appearances of Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince Harry, Prince Wills and Kate on Thursday.
And of course, Wiggo was there — that is, Bradley Wiggins, Britain’s first Tour de France winner who came off the three-week race through the Alps and Pyrenees to win the individual time trial on London’s outskirts and his seventh Olympic medal. The medal podium was set up as three thrones near Hampton Court Palace, and Wiggins sat on his and flashed the V sign to his loyal subjects.
British fans have taken to plastering fake red sideburns on their faces in tribute to Wiggo, who lost his father to alcoholism and has talked about his own, past drinking problems.
Hoy, a Scotsman, is also beloved, as is Mark Cavendish, the Isle of Man sprinter who has won two dozen Tour stages.
“Em, they cont get eny beddah than ‘is,” Cav said of his teammates.
Spectators in the 6,000 seats agreed — although they weren’t actually in their seats for much of the evening. Many waved Union Jack flags and their screams reverberated from ceiling to floor.
Pendleton has been embraced by fans and tabloid reporters since she revealed she was romantically involved with team sports scientist Scott Gardner, who was one of her coaches.
“We fell in love and at first everyone was so angry, we were a disgrace,” she said in a BBC interview.
Said Gardner, who had to leave the team: “I knew there were consequences.”
But they were eventually forgiven and admired for their loyalty to each other.
Pendleton won one of track cycling’s strangest, most challenging events. The eight-lap Keirin is a race of speed and tactics and used to be one of pushing and shoving. The racers follow a derney — a motorized bike driven by bloke in black who looks like he could be delivering a pizza. He paces the riders until he peels off into the infield and they are fight it out to the finish line, where places are determined by inches.
Pendleton’s arch rival, Anna Meares of Australia, roared to the front but she went too early. The canny Pendleton, whose petite size belies her strength, passed Meares with two laps to go, pushing her pedals with a burst of power and withstanding the pain in her quadriceps to hold off two other charging cyclists for first place.
Pendleton’s nervous mum, Pauline, took up her usual place in the loo during her daughter’s race, where she said she’s often met up with Hoy’s mother.
Pendleton has the sprint to come, but plans to retire after the Olympics.
“I didn’t sleep last night and I asked, ‘Why do I put myself through this?’ ” she said. “I’m going to be riding my bike to keep fit and that’s it. I won’t ever do a Steve Redgrave where he jumped back in the boat.”
Pendleton, 31, said she’ll be glad to stop agonizing.
“I’m going to give up crying after the Olympics,” she said. “I’ve decided I’m going to give it up forever.”
But first she will have her “amazing exit” in the breathtaking venue. The external sides are covered in western red cedar to coincide with the Siberian pine track. The double-curving roof features 10 miles of steel cable. It was designed to be the world’s fastest track and one of the Games’ most sustainable venues — lightweight and energy-efficient like a bicycle.
The last time the Olympic Games were held in London, in 1948, cycling was contested at Herne Hill, an outdoor track that survives as the only intact venue from the “Austerity Olympics.” It was used by Wiggins when he was a youngster, but has fallen into disrepair. He’s leading a fundraising drive to refurbish it.
Great Britain will soon have six velodromes in which to groom its promising cyclists. The country is undergoing a cycling boom — competitive, recreational and commuting. Sky TV hosts a series of Sky Rides which bar traffic from city centers and open them to cyclists. A Go Ride program in the schools encourages talent.
The likes of Sir Chris, Brilliant Brad and Queen Victoria should keep the wheels turning.
---
Never really watched track cycling before, none that left a lasting impression at least. Watched my first match last night, it was this that Pendleton won. My first impression is that what a cute sport. Their coach held their bikes like fathers watching over their precious daughters, and then when they returned, they helped them off their bikes. So all they really had to do on their own, is to paddle, paddle and paddle. Find the part about the mums 'taking their usual place in the loo' extremely cute. :)))
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Table tennis standout Natalia Partyka excels despite disability
[source: miami herald]
Poland’s Natalia Partyka, who was born without a right hand or forearm, refuses to use her disability as an excuse. ‘My coaches expect the same from me as from everyone else.’
LONDON -- The Olympic track and field competition got underway Friday, and one of the most talked-about stories will be the tale of Oscar “The Blade Runner” Pistorius, the South African double amputee who is racing at 400 meters with the aid of prosthetic legs. What most people don’t realize is that Pistorius is not the only disabled Olympian at these Games.
There is another.
Far away from the glare of TV cameras, at the ExCel table tennis hall Friday morning, was the equally compelling but lesser-known Natalia Partyka, a one-armed table tennis player from Poland. She was born without a right hand or forearm and is competing in her second Olympics after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics. She will also compete in the London Paralympics.
With four matches going on simultaneously, and the dizzying speed of the game at the world-class level, it would have been easy upon first glance to overlook the fact that Partyka is missing half her arm. It is most noticeable when she serves. She cannot toss the ball with her off hand, so she cradles it in the crook of her right elbow and drops it onto the swinging paddle. Once the ball is in play, Partyka, 23, is as quick and graceful as anyone out there.
She reached the third round of the singles competition last week before losing to a Dutch player. On Friday, she played in the team competition against Singapore. Poland lost the match 3-1 (2-3, 3-0, 3-0, 3-0), but Partyka won a lot of hearts in the audience. The Polish fans in the building already knew Partyka, as she is very well-known back home. She received the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of the nation’s highest honors. Those who didn’t know her now do.
She shrugs off the disability, calling it “nothing’’ when reporters ask. “I am playing the same lines as the others. And I have the same dreams and goals. It is not an issue. My coaches expect the same from me as from everyone else.’’
She admits it can get tiresome being asked about her missing hand, but she smiles and politely answers every time the topic comes up. She hopes the publicity can serve as an inspiration to others. After her opening-round singles matches here, she received fan letters from India, the United States and all over Europe. Many were from disabled kids and parents of disabled children, thanking her for being a good role model.
“I can show people that nothing is impossible,’’ Partyka said. “Maybe being disabled makes things more difficult than for able-bodied people, and maybe we have to work a little harder. But we can do anything we want to do if we just try. Maybe someone will see me and realize their own disability is not the end of the world, that they can achieve bigger dreams than they imagined.’’
Partyka began playing table tennis at age 7 out of a burning desire to beat her older sister, Sandra. She followed Sandra to the neighborhood table tennis hall in their seaside hometown of Gdansk and began taking lessons. Four years later, she beat Sandra for the first time.
“One of the most beautiful days of my life, the first time I beat my sister,’’ she said Friday.
At 11 years old, she qualified for the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney and was the youngest athlete to compete in any sport. She didn’t win, but was inspired to keep training for the 2004 Games in Athens, where she won a gold medal at age 15. Four years ago, in Beijing, she competed in the Olympics and won a gold medal in the Paralympics.
Partyka is widely admired among her competitors worldwide.
“I remember the first time I saw Natalia was four years ago, at the Junior World Championships in Stanford [Calif.], and I was amazed at how good she was,’’ said U.S. player Lily Zhang after the Americans lost 3-0 to Japan on Friday. “She is such an inspiration to all of us. She doesn’t let her disability slow her down.’’
Ariel Hsing, also of the U.S. team, added: “Natalia is absolutely amazing. I really admire her and respect her. She is so brave for putting herself out there and playing with the best in the world. I don’t think she knows me, but I definitely know her.’’
Her Polish teammates said Partyka has made the sport more popular in their country.
“Because of Natalia’s story, the television and media are paying attention to table tennis now,’’ Katarzyna Grzybowska said. “They take notice in our big tournaments and our results and we get a lot of fans at our competitions. Everybody supports her and wants to see her play. But she personally never makes a big deal of it. She hasn’t had a hand her whole life, so she’s used to it. And we’re all used to it, too. When I play against her in practice, I don’t even notice.’’
Partyka has been particularly interested in the Pistorius story because she can relate on some level.
“It’s different because he has no legs, but he is a Paralympian competing in the able-bodied Olympics like me, so that we have in common,’’ she said. “I think both of us can make a difference, especially with disabled people, to prove we can be top-level athletes and compete against the best. There is no need to feel inferior.’’
----
I saw her during the match between Poland and Singapore in the Women's Team Table Tennis. 3 para-lympics and her fourth, a able-bodied olympics. Truly admire her courage. :))
Poland’s Natalia Partyka, who was born without a right hand or forearm, refuses to use her disability as an excuse. ‘My coaches expect the same from me as from everyone else.’
LONDON -- The Olympic track and field competition got underway Friday, and one of the most talked-about stories will be the tale of Oscar “The Blade Runner” Pistorius, the South African double amputee who is racing at 400 meters with the aid of prosthetic legs. What most people don’t realize is that Pistorius is not the only disabled Olympian at these Games.
There is another.
Far away from the glare of TV cameras, at the ExCel table tennis hall Friday morning, was the equally compelling but lesser-known Natalia Partyka, a one-armed table tennis player from Poland. She was born without a right hand or forearm and is competing in her second Olympics after winning gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics. She will also compete in the London Paralympics.
With four matches going on simultaneously, and the dizzying speed of the game at the world-class level, it would have been easy upon first glance to overlook the fact that Partyka is missing half her arm. It is most noticeable when she serves. She cannot toss the ball with her off hand, so she cradles it in the crook of her right elbow and drops it onto the swinging paddle. Once the ball is in play, Partyka, 23, is as quick and graceful as anyone out there.
She reached the third round of the singles competition last week before losing to a Dutch player. On Friday, she played in the team competition against Singapore. Poland lost the match 3-1 (2-3, 3-0, 3-0, 3-0), but Partyka won a lot of hearts in the audience. The Polish fans in the building already knew Partyka, as she is very well-known back home. She received the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of the nation’s highest honors. Those who didn’t know her now do.
She shrugs off the disability, calling it “nothing’’ when reporters ask. “I am playing the same lines as the others. And I have the same dreams and goals. It is not an issue. My coaches expect the same from me as from everyone else.’’
She admits it can get tiresome being asked about her missing hand, but she smiles and politely answers every time the topic comes up. She hopes the publicity can serve as an inspiration to others. After her opening-round singles matches here, she received fan letters from India, the United States and all over Europe. Many were from disabled kids and parents of disabled children, thanking her for being a good role model.
“I can show people that nothing is impossible,’’ Partyka said. “Maybe being disabled makes things more difficult than for able-bodied people, and maybe we have to work a little harder. But we can do anything we want to do if we just try. Maybe someone will see me and realize their own disability is not the end of the world, that they can achieve bigger dreams than they imagined.’’
Partyka began playing table tennis at age 7 out of a burning desire to beat her older sister, Sandra. She followed Sandra to the neighborhood table tennis hall in their seaside hometown of Gdansk and began taking lessons. Four years later, she beat Sandra for the first time.
“One of the most beautiful days of my life, the first time I beat my sister,’’ she said Friday.
At 11 years old, she qualified for the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney and was the youngest athlete to compete in any sport. She didn’t win, but was inspired to keep training for the 2004 Games in Athens, where she won a gold medal at age 15. Four years ago, in Beijing, she competed in the Olympics and won a gold medal in the Paralympics.
Partyka is widely admired among her competitors worldwide.
“I remember the first time I saw Natalia was four years ago, at the Junior World Championships in Stanford [Calif.], and I was amazed at how good she was,’’ said U.S. player Lily Zhang after the Americans lost 3-0 to Japan on Friday. “She is such an inspiration to all of us. She doesn’t let her disability slow her down.’’
Ariel Hsing, also of the U.S. team, added: “Natalia is absolutely amazing. I really admire her and respect her. She is so brave for putting herself out there and playing with the best in the world. I don’t think she knows me, but I definitely know her.’’
Her Polish teammates said Partyka has made the sport more popular in their country.
“Because of Natalia’s story, the television and media are paying attention to table tennis now,’’ Katarzyna Grzybowska said. “They take notice in our big tournaments and our results and we get a lot of fans at our competitions. Everybody supports her and wants to see her play. But she personally never makes a big deal of it. She hasn’t had a hand her whole life, so she’s used to it. And we’re all used to it, too. When I play against her in practice, I don’t even notice.’’
Partyka has been particularly interested in the Pistorius story because she can relate on some level.
“It’s different because he has no legs, but he is a Paralympian competing in the able-bodied Olympics like me, so that we have in common,’’ she said. “I think both of us can make a difference, especially with disabled people, to prove we can be top-level athletes and compete against the best. There is no need to feel inferior.’’
----
I saw her during the match between Poland and Singapore in the Women's Team Table Tennis. 3 para-lympics and her fourth, a able-bodied olympics. Truly admire her courage. :))
End of Day 7: Goodnight!
 |
| swim events coming to an end - athletics starting :D |
Hello Day 7. It's been a week. And like I've said earlier, I have been lazy. And distracted. And maybe just impatient. Watched a very satisfying Tennis Men's Singles Semifinals; and I really feel like learning the sport. What's cute about it are the audience and ball girls. They run almost in cubified anime version to the fallen tennis ball only to crouch down by the sides, or stand as still as a stone behind. And the 4:30hr match, claimed to be Federer's longest ever match, attracted Kobe Bryant as well. The NBA legend signs a couple of autographs while chatting with fans, shot being cut to during small intervals. Also happening during those intervals, are every other spectator that shot up. Some stretched, others just stand and stone. I'm guessing their butt hurts from all that sitting down. As soon as the game begin, the cooperative bunch sat back down.
The fish legend is swimming in a while but I really feel like hitting the sacks. For the first time ever, the yoggroupie has lost a little bit of steam and is going to retreat for the night. Is it that the swim event s had grew...uninteresting? Its as if I'm treating it as world-class entertainment and when that is over - really less people will be interested. Ok I don't really know what I'm yapping about. Oh man I am ashamed. It's 2am. Goodnight everyone. We'll see each other tomorrow.
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