The Paralympic Games

The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games began on March 4 and are to come to a close on March 13. This year was my first time watching the games and cheering on the Paralympic athletes. The one sport that I had grew a liking for was the super g-sitting alpine skiing event, specifically the men. Being that I had never seen an event like this take place, I was incredibly impressed at how talented these athletes are. I had never even seen skiing by Olympians compete before, so this was so fascinating for me to see by Paralympians. The amount of speed and agility they had was amazing. The way their lower extremity was fastened into the black molded bucket seats that are attached to their skis which are made of a metal frame, then allowed them to manipulate their body while taking sharp turns using their poles while resting on their elbows. For Para Alpine skiing it is split up into 3 different categories. The first is for athletes categorized as standing skiers. This entails athletes who may have impairments to their arms or legs but are able to ski while standing. For the second category, it is for individuals who ski while seated. The last category is for visually impaired athletes who require a guide to lead them while providing verbal instructions.  

During this year's event, Jesper Pedersen of Norway took home the gold for his country with a time of 1.09.69 in the super g-sitting alpine skiing event. Right from the beginning when he began skiing, he was already .45 seconds ahead of his competitor's time. From there he continued to beat his competitors times at each marker which led him to taking home the gold for Norway. He is a five-time Paralympic medalist and has specifically won two gold medals and a silver medal during the 2022 Beijing Games. Jesper had been born paralyzed from the waist down. 

Next, Corey Peters of New Zealand took home the silver medal for his country with a time of 1.10.16. Corey had previously taken home the bronze medal during the 2018 Paralympic Games. In 2009 Corey had sustained spinal cord injuries at a motocross event. After competing in three Paralympic Games, he is now a 4-time Paralympic Medalist.

Lastly, Taiki Morii took home the bronze medal for his country, Japan with a close time of 1.10.61. At 16 years old he sustained spinal cord injuries due to a motorcycle accident. Now, at 41 years old he has partaken in 5 Paralympic Games and won 6 Paralympic medals, 4 silver and 2 bronze. 

Pictures:

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