9 September 2012 - The last day of the Paralympics was a wrap-up day, just a few events. But the US went out on a strong note: Wheelchair rugby cruised to a 53-43 win in their final match, bringing home the bronze, and in the women’s marathon (T54), Team USA’s Shirley Reilly won gold.
8 September 2012 - Today was the last full day of competition, and the MEDAL QUEST team and I were drawn to Track and Field again. We were especially watching the preliminary heats for the women’s 100m (T-54) wheelchair race to see the McFadden sisters, Tatyana and Hannah, sprinting head to head.
7 September 2012 - It’s coming down to the final stretch here in the Games – just one more full day of competition on Saturday, then final events and the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday.
6 September 2012 - Last night was the marquee event of these Paralympics, the much hyped Men’s 100m sprint (T44), or as most people think of it, “the Oscar Pistorius race.”
5 September 2012 - Wednesday, a week into the Games, and today I was at the most packed arena I’ve seen outside of the Olympic Stadium, and the loudest, for sure.
4 September 2012 - MEDAL QUEST was at two very different competitions today. First was Track and Field, which is actually called “Athletics” here at the Paralympic Games.
3 September 2012 - Yesterday’s play ended so late at the Olympic Stadium, I didn’t have the energy to write. But there was a dramatic race that took place that evening, made even more dramatic after the competition, so I thought I’d recap.
2 September 2012 - London’s normal rains came back today, slowing down the outdoor events. Paralympic athletes compete in the rain, of course, just as able-bodied athletes do. But sometimes conditions get slick or dangerous, and the very strict Paralympic competition timetables slip.
1 September, 2012 - It’s hard to explain how much goes on so quickly at the Games. In some venues, like swimming, there’s only one pool, of course, so the races take place one after the other, with just very short breaks in between them.
1 September 2012 - The MEDAL QUEST team has media credentials, which means we can enter the stadiums at special entrances. It’s all very carefully controlled: security screens our camera bags every time we enter the park, and volunteers check the tags around our necks to enter the stadium, to get to shooting positions, to get around to a new place to work, at every door and gate.
31 August, 2012 - Another beautiful day in London. I’ve been surprised every day when the sun shines, after the soggy wet spring and early summer Britain had. Fingers crossed that the weather holds as the Track and Field and Soccer events are starting!
30 August 2012 – First Day of Competition
After a gala night of fireworks and celebration, the London 2012 athletes got right down to business today.
29 August 2012 midnight+ London Time
by Judith Vecchione, for MEDAL QUEST
Opening Ceremonies for the London 2012 Paralympics ended an hour ago, and they were amazing. I could pick out one moment after another that was tremendous:
Producer Lindsay Gillette and I looked in at the Copper Box today, the venue where goalballers Jen Armbruster, Asya Miller, and Lisa Czechowski will be competing in just two days.
Last night the athletes of Team USA selected their 2012 flag bearer for 2012 -- 5-time Paralympian Scott Danberg, who competes in discus this year and also has competed in shot put. On Thursday morning, US swimmer Trischa Zorn, the most decorated Paralympian of all times - 51 medals, 37 of them gold! - will be inducted into the Paralympics Hall of fame.
That’s what they call it on the official Paralympic schedule “Day -2” as in “minus two” or two days to go. And it has that feeling of “almost ready and just you wait!” It’s very exciting.
Hi MQ fans,
As you know, MEDAL QUEST will be reporting live from London starting next Monday, two days before Opening Ceremonies. We’ll have descriptions of what’s happening and what it feels like to be there cheering, photos from the arenas, stats like who won and how fast they went, more -- and we’ll be posting new video every day after the Games start.
Starting next Monday, MEDAL QUEST will be blogging live from the London 2012 Games. We’re really excited to be going, to share with you our experiences and the experiences of the amazing Team USA Paralympians.
