As the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games wraps up, and the home nations celebrate their achievements across a huge spectrum of sport, it could be argued they’re an old-fashioned notion, starting life as the British Empire Games in 1930 as an alternative to the Olympics. But with a premise rooted in colonial history, how relevant (and appropriate) can they be?
The answer, following the fantastic show that Birmingham gave us, is ‘very’. At the recent Games, 4,500 athletes representing 72 nations and territories competed in 19 sports, including eight Para Sports – the most ever.
In fact, the Commonwealth Games are one of the only major international events with a fully integrated Para Sports competition programme. It means disabled and able-bodied athletes from the same country are true teammates, competing alongside each other with their medals combined in the same tally. This raises the profile of para events and the competitors, putting them on par with their able-bodied teammates, and the greater accessibility for everyone means that para-athletes are greeted by full auditoriums and stands, along with thunderous applause, and their races or events are accompanied by deafening cheers.
Maisie Summers-Newton, the winner of the first-ever Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB6 at the Commonwealth Games loves that the Games are so integrated, “I swim in a club that is integrated. I think it is so important for Para sport to feel included and inclusive.”
Don’t expect to see this format at all international multi-sports events though. Whilst Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson backs further integration, she commented recently that, “On a practical level, I don’t think there is a city in the world that could hold a combined (Olympic) Games.”
STR Group’s EDI Ambassador and this year’s gold medallist in the T37/T38 Women’s 100 metres, Livvie Breen, also feels that the Olympics and Paralympics should remain separate. In a recent interview for Sky Sports, she stated, “When the Olympics finishes, the Paralympics is a month later and for people to learn about disabilities is really important… we do things in a different way and it’s important for the public to see that as well and for us to have their support.”
Watch the short video she made for us here, to see how much her Commonwealth 2022 medal and everyone’s support mean to her:
STR Group’s EDI Ambassador and this year’s gold medallist in the T37/T38 Women’s 100 metres, Livvie Breen, also feels that the Olympics and Paralympics should remain separate. In a recent interview for Sky Sports, she stated, “When the Olympics finishes, the Paralympics is a month later and for people to learn about disabilities is really important… we do things in a different way and it’s important for the public to see that as well and for us to have their support.”
Watch the short video she made for us here, to see how much her Commonwealth 2022 medal and everyone’s support mean to her:
