The Alex Zanardi Paralympic Thread

TomPryce · Post by **TomPryce** » 14 Aug 2012, 16:33

I, for one, am mega excited to watch Zanardi compete in London. He's an absolute hero in my eyes, and I am glad he's still competing after his horrific accident ten years ago. Anyone else looking forward to it?

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 14 Aug 2012, 17:59

Absolutely!

I did want to go and see him live but couldn't find anyone who wanted to go to Brands Hatch with me sadly. Today I've found out that one of my friends who's a sports journalist seems to have done an interview with him for Metro a few months back, so now I've sent him a mail about that!

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 14 Aug 2012, 18:17

Barbazza wrote:Absolutely!

I did want to go and see him live but couldn't find anyone who wanted to go to Brands Hatch with me sadly. Today I've found out that one of my friends who's a sports journalist seems to have done an interview with him for Metro a few months back, so now I've sent him a mail about that!

What events are going on at Brands Hatch?

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 14 Aug 2012, 18:40

The cycling road races, including the one that Alex Zanardi will be in!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 14 Aug 2012, 19:16

I was able to get tickets to Brands Hatch for the Road Cycling! I applied for them in the hope of seeing Alessandro Zanardi, and it just happens to be on my mum's birthday! Makes up for not getting tickets on my 30th birthday.

I'll be going with my family. Who else has tickets for 8th September?

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 14 Aug 2012, 20:01

I would have gone if it weren't on the other side of the freaking country to me...and wasn't busy moving to Edinburgh at the same time.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 15 Aug 2012, 10:29

Can't say I'd ever have gone to see any of the events live, seeing as they'll all break the bank, but I will be watching that day. Channel 4 may find the extra influx of F1 fans will see the viewing figures go through the roof.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 15 Aug 2012, 10:48

dinizintheoven wrote:Can't say I'd ever have gone to see any of the events live, seeing as they'll all break the bank, but I will be watching that day. Channel 4 may find the extra influx of F1 fans will see the viewing figures go through the roof.

Breaking the bank at £20 per ticket? I'm a uni student and I could stretch my budget to this...

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 15 Aug 2012, 17:38

dr-baker wrote:
dinizintheoven wrote:Can't say I'd ever have gone to see any of the events live, seeing as they'll all break the bank, but I will be watching that day. Channel 4 may find the extra influx of F1 fans will see the viewing figures go through the roof.

Breaking the bank at £20 per ticket? I'm a uni student and I could stretch my budget to this...

Yeah, that's what I paid to see the women's football quarter final in Coventry, a game which involved Team GB. Some of the prices are astronomical, but you can easily get to see a slice of the action on a budget if you desire. I'm not sure what sports are included in the paralympics but if there's anything similar to the road cycling events or the triathlon or marathon then you can get there and watch for free!

Bleu · Post by **Bleu** » 20 Aug 2012, 06:08

By my understanding, Zanardi is competing in H4 class where time trial is scheduled on Wednesday 5th at 14.30 and road race on Friday 7th at 16:30.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 21 Aug 2012, 12:18

dr-baker wrote:Breaking the bank at £20 per ticket? I'm a uni student and I could stretch my budget to this...

There's also getting to Brands Hatch to factor in as well, and all this at a time where I have more very large bills hovering in front of me than a marauding horde of pelicans.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 23 Aug 2012, 12:07

dinizintheoven wrote:
dr-baker wrote:Breaking the bank at £20 per ticket? I'm a uni student and I could stretch my budget to this...

There's also getting to Brands Hatch to factor in as well, and all this at a time where I have more very large bills hovering in front of me than a marauding horde of pelicans.

Fair enough. I live just a 45-minute drive from Brands, it'll cost me less than a tenner to driver there and back for all four of us. But public transport from anywhere other than N-W Kent or London will be awful.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 23 Aug 2012, 12:16

dr-baker wrote:
dinizintheoven wrote:
dr-baker wrote:Breaking the bank at £20 per ticket? I'm a uni student and I could stretch my budget to this...

There's also getting to Brands Hatch to factor in as well, and all this at a time where I have more very large bills hovering in front of me than a marauding horde of pelicans.

Fair enough. I live just a 45-minute drive from Brands, it'll cost me less than a tenner to driver there and back for all four of us. But public transport from anywhere other than N-W Kent or London will be awful.

To get the train from Edinburgh to Longfield and back (which is my best guess at the nearest station to Brands Hatch) is £116.50. Not exactly cheap is it

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 23 Aug 2012, 12:21

kostas22 wrote:To get the train from Edinburgh to Longfield and back (which is my best guess at the nearest station to Brands Hatch) is £116.50. Not exactly cheap is it

Bearing that in mind, no that is not at all cheap. And if I were in your position, I wouldn't bother. In the same way that I would love to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but have yet to do so.

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 23 Aug 2012, 14:00

dr-baker wrote:
kostas22 wrote:To get the train from Edinburgh to Longfield and back (which is my best guess at the nearest station to Brands Hatch) is £116.50. Not exactly cheap is it

Bearing that in mind, no that is not at all cheap. And if I were in your position, I wouldn't bother. In the same way that I would love to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but have yet to do so.

Seen as my Grandparents live only 15-25mins away from Brands, I can tell you the nearest station is Farningham

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 23 Aug 2012, 17:17

dr-baker wrote:
kostas22 wrote:To get the train from Edinburgh to Longfield and back (which is my best guess at the nearest station to Brands Hatch) is £116.50. Not exactly cheap is it

Bearing that in mind, no that is not at all cheap. And if I were in your position, I wouldn't bother. In the same way that I would love to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but have yet to do so.

It's an absolute disgrace. The government harps on about us being more "eco-friendly" and to use public transport, when they know damn well it's a complete non-starter. The economic argument doesn't even stand up. And to think, ticket prices will be going up by another 6% in January! Wonder where that extra money will be going... :roll:

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 23 Aug 2012, 18:54

AndreaModa wrote:
dr-baker wrote:
kostas22 wrote:To get the train from Edinburgh to Longfield and back (which is my best guess at the nearest station to Brands Hatch) is £116.50. Not exactly cheap is it

Bearing that in mind, no that is not at all cheap. And if I were in your position, I wouldn't bother. In the same way that I would love to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but have yet to do so.

It's an absolute disgrace. The government harps on about us being more "eco-friendly" and to use public transport, when they know damn well it's a complete non-starter. The economic argument doesn't even stand up. And to think, ticket prices will be going up by another 6% in January! Wonder where that extra money will be going...

Are you implying government coffers, or dividends to private company shareholders?

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 23 Aug 2012, 19:04

Anywhere except where they should be going, and that is into improvements into the network. It's exactly the same situation with the road network - millions taken off of the motorist, and barely any of it re-invested into improvements or maintenance of the roads. The government's priorities are fundamentally wrong - they see transport systems as just a money-making exercise.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 23 Aug 2012, 19:22

There are many things that are now screwed beyond belief such that whoever is running the country (because the previous lot didn't exactly do much better on transport) will never be able to turn around IMO. The road and rail network definitely come under that category. So, I'm afraid, does the NHS.

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 23 Aug 2012, 19:27

Barbazza wrote:There are many things that are now screwed beyond belief such that whoever is running the country (because the previous lot didn't exactly do much better on transport) will never be able to turn around IMO. The road and rail network definitely come under that category. So, I'm afraid, does the NHS.

The railways need to be privatised again. Roadworkers need to get their bloody fingers out of their arses and actually do some work. Doctors should learn to write, and show compassion. Jod done.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 23 Aug 2012, 20:09

The United Kingdom just needs a giant reset button tbh. We bathplugged everything up beyond repair.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 23 Aug 2012, 21:07

kostas22 wrote:The United Kingdom just needs a giant reset button tbh. We bathplugged everything up beyond repair.

I may have to sig this at some point.

When i'm done shamelessly promoting Jack Christopherson's World Championship success

Post by **Londoner** » 29 Aug 2012, 19:16

15 minutes in, and Channel 4's coverage is absolutely dire. I want the BBC

TWO bathplugging ad breaks in less than 20 minutes! :evil:

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 30 Aug 2012, 12:07

East Londoner wrote:15 minutes in, and Channel 4's coverage is absolutely dire. I want the BBC

TWO bathplugging ad breaks in less than 20 minutes!

And it didn't get much better... I HATE ad breaks. :evil:

MinardiFan95 · Post by **MinardiFan95** » 01 Sep 2012, 04:53

East Londoner wrote:15 minutes in, and Channel 4's coverage is absolutely dire. I want the BBC

TWO bathplugging ad breaks in less than 20 minutes!

It's the other way around here in Australia, the ABC has the coverage of the paralympics so there are no ads, where as the hateful Channel 9 had the Olympic coverage, whose amount of ads came second only to coverage of swimming.

RonDenisDeletraz · Post by **RonDenisDeletraz** » 02 Sep 2012, 09:23

MinardiFan95 wrote:
East Londoner wrote:15 minutes in, and Channel 4's coverage is absolutely dire. I want the BBC

TWO bathplugging ad breaks in less than 20 minutes!

It's the other way around here in Australia, the ABC has the coverage of the paralympics so there are no ads, where as the hateful Channel 9 had the Olympic coverage, whose amount of ads came second only to coverage of swimming.

Channel 9 can go bathplug themselves.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 03 Sep 2012, 18:19

Interestingly rejectful news from the Olympic stadium. In the men's 100m T51 final (that's wheelchairs, for those of you who haven't been following), the slowest qualifier was one Satoshi Inoue. He finished last, five seconds behind the winner.

I'll be watching for other athletes, not necessarily in wheelchairs, with such surnames as Délétraz, Ghinzani and Ide.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 03 Sep 2012, 19:05

I'm glad it wasn't just me who spotted that. I said instantly 'he gets my support!'

Bleu · Post by **Bleu** » 04 Sep 2012, 06:14

Glad to see Finland is doing better here than in the Olympics. Including gold medal in that competition where Inoue was in.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 04 Sep 2012, 07:39

Bleu wrote:Glad to see Finland is doing better here than in the Olympics. Including gold medal in that competition where Inoue was in.

And nothing less than a new world record in the qualifying heats. You don't get to hear stuff like that from Finnish athletes too often...

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 05 Sep 2012, 07:17

http://paralympics.channel4.com/news-pi ... et-zanardi

Worth a read, even though we all know the back story inside out.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 05 Sep 2012, 14:55

We've got the result, at least if the london2012.com site is working properly. But I am going to put it on a different thread so it's not a spoiler for anyone who looks here and doesn't want to know how it's gone until it's announced officially... mods, feel free to merge the two when you think it appropriate.

Post by **Londoner** » 09 Sep 2012, 21:09

Why the hell is Rihanna performing at the Closing Ceremony? Utterly disgraceful. I thought the ceremonies were supposed to promote Britain and it's talent, not some untalented idiot that's only famous for performing practically naked with half a ton of Autotune applied. Total slap in the face to all of the hardworking, inspirational Paralympians. :evil:

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 09 Sep 2012, 21:13

East Londoner wrote:Why the hell is Rihanna performing at the Closing Ceremony? Utterly disgraceful. I thought the ceremonies were supposed to promote Britain and it's talent, not some untalented idiot that's only famous for performing practically naked with half a ton of Autotune applied. Total slap in the face to all of the hardworking, inspirational Paralympians.

Seconded. Although Reject of the Parympics should go to Channel 4 for the worst broadcast of a sporting event since Imola 2005.

Post by **Ataxia** » 09 Sep 2012, 22:59

pasta_maldonado wrote:
East Londoner wrote:Why the hell is Rihanna performing at the Closing Ceremony? Utterly disgraceful. I thought the ceremonies were supposed to promote Britain and it's talent, not some untalented idiot that's only famous for performing practically naked with half a ton of Autotune applied. Total slap in the face to all of the hardworking, inspirational Paralympians.

Seconded. Although Reject of the Parympics should go to Channel 4 for the worst broadcast of a sporting event since Imola 2005.

I forget Imola '05 (and the whole of '05, for that matter...), what happened during the broadcasting?

Post by **Londoner** » 09 Sep 2012, 23:07

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:
pasta_maldonado wrote:
East Londoner wrote:Why the hell is Rihanna performing at the Closing Ceremony? Utterly disgraceful. I thought the ceremonies were supposed to promote Britain and it's talent, not some untalented idiot that's only famous for performing practically naked with half a ton of Autotune applied. Total slap in the face to all of the hardworking, inspirational Paralympians.

Seconded. Although Reject of the Parympics should go to Channel 4 for the worst broadcast of a sporting event since Imola 2005.

I forget Imola '05 (and the whole of '05, for that matter...), what happened during the broadcasting?

A massive battle for the lead, and victory between Alonso and Schumacher was building up in the last 10 or so laps of the race. With three laps to go, Schumacher was right on Alonso's gearbox...and ITV went to an ad break! Coverage resumed with about half a lap to go with the two still so close together. Absolute shambles. Total crap it was.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 09 Sep 2012, 23:15

East Londoner wrote:A massive battle for the lead, and victory between Alonso and Schumacher was building up in the last 10 or so laps of the race. With three laps to go, Schumacher was right on Alonso's gearbox...and ITV went to an ad break! Coverage resumed with about half a lap to go with the two still so close together. Absolute shambles. Total crap it was.

This is ITV you're talking about. A channel that allows Adrian Chiles to present football. Did you expect anything else from them?

Post by **Ataxia** » 09 Sep 2012, 23:33

redbulljack14 wrote:
East Londoner wrote:A massive battle for the lead, and victory between Alonso and Schumacher was building up in the last 10 or so laps of the race. With three laps to go, Schumacher was right on Alonso's gearbox...and ITV went to an ad break! Coverage resumed with about half a lap to go with the two still so close together. Absolute shambles. Total crap it was.

This is ITV you're talking about. A channel that allows Adrian Chiles to present football. Did you expect anything else from them?

This was the most cringeworthy moment of ITV coverage. (This is the only version of it on Youtube)

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 10 Sep 2012, 11:20

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:
redbulljack14 wrote:
East Londoner wrote:A massive battle for the lead, and victory between Alonso and Schumacher was building up in the last 10 or so laps of the race. With three laps to go, Schumacher was right on Alonso's gearbox...and ITV went to an ad break! Coverage resumed with about half a lap to go with the two still so close together. Absolute shambles. Total crap it was.

This is ITV you're talking about. A channel that allows Adrian Chiles to present football. Did you expect anything else from them?

This was the most cringeworthy moment of ITV coverage. (This is the only version of it on Youtube)

And I thought that I had totally obliterated that from my memory... :evil:

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 10 Sep 2012, 19:29

East Londoner wrote:Why the hell is Rihanna performing at the Closing Ceremony? Utterly disgraceful. I thought the ceremonies were supposed to promote Britain and it's talent, not some untalented idiot that's only famous for performing practically naked with half a ton of Autotune applied. Total slap in the face to all of the hardworking, inspirational Paralympians.

I thought that was awful too. Coldplay yes, though they're not my favourite band. Rihanna and bloody Jay-Z, no thanks. I thought the whole closing ceremony was a bit bland to be honest. The opening ceremony was miles better.