Pluck, hope and high spirits trumped physical impairment during the London 2012 Paralympic Games which ended last night after 12 days of gruelling yet inspiring competition.
Terezinha Guilhermina of Brazil and her guide Guilherme Soares de Santana react cross the finish line in the women’s 100m-T11 final at the Olympic Stadium last Wednesday. Guilhermina won the gold.
Beginning in 1960, the Paralympics have evolved into the second-largest sporting event in the world, with more than 4,200 participants from 164 countries competing this year in a spectacular gathering of athletes whose sheer mental strength helped overcome handicaps after fate had dealt them a cruel hand.
Amputees, wheelchair-bound, visually impaired and intellectually disabled athletes competed in 21 sports in which the rules and regulations were tailored to suit different skills and competencies.
Thailand captured three gold medals: Rungroj Thainiyom won in table tennis, Saysunee Jana won for wheelchair fencing and Pattaya Tadtong took out the boccia.
Saichon Khonjen, Thailand’s bronze medallist in the 100m wheelchair race.
Russia’s Olesya Vladykina waves to photographers after receiving her bronze medal at the presentation ceremony of the women’s 100m backstroke S8 final last Tuesday.
China’s Xu Qing, left, Zheng Tao and Brazil’s Adriano de Lima prepare to race in the men’s 50m freestyle S6 heats at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park last Tuesday. The S6 category is for swimmers with both arms amputated, swimmers of short stature or moderate co-ordination problems.
Iran’s Hajar Taktaz competes in the women’s shot put F11/12 last Wednesday.
Thailand’s Saysunee Jana celebrates her golden moment against Germany’s Simone Briese-Baetke in the women’s epee individual Category B final last Wednesday.
Suthee Klongrua competes against a French player in wheelchair tennis.
Britain’s Mike Kerr, second left, tackles Joe Delagrave, far left, of the US during their wheelchair rugby match at the Olympic Stadium last Wednesday.
Rungroj Thainiyom took the gold in the table tennis final.
China’s Fan Chengcheng prepares to hurl the disc in the men’s discus F40 category last Tuesday.