Do you think the Paralympics should have a more worthy name eg. Super Olympics or Extreme Olympics?

[Daniella88]

The reason being is I just watched a program interviewing two of the winners and at the end as the host was congratulating the two winners he said ' The two fastest men in the paralympics' and it touched a nerve. If he had said Olympics it would of sounded like a greater achievement as opposed to paralympics where as in actual fact paralympics is in some ways an even greater achievement than the Olympics as they have disabilities/restrictions. What do you think guys? I just think these inspirational people deserve a more heroic title?

Updates

+1 y

I just think they deserve a greater title. eg. they probably all didn't start swimming or running because of the paralympics. They start because they enjoy it and want to achieve something, so calling it paralympics isn't pointing out just their skill in the sport but their disbility and skill. Oscar Pistorius was so fast they put him in the olympics too and he beat normal olympians so my point is people without disabilities couldn't do that with two legs so they are super humans reguardless.

[bellybuttonlint]

How else would you differentiate the two events? There's also the Special Olympics and Deaflympics too.

There hasn't ever been a controversy with the name since it was offically used in 1988. I think it's fine.

However, what the commentators said were not wrong. The fastest male paralympians would be on par with the fastest women olympians based on time (in some cases faster), which is a MONUMENTAL achievement in and of its own.

However, it's the athletes themselves that should be concerned with the name (and not you), and so far no athlete that I know of has complained. They are aware of their disability and what they accomplish is probably greater than what olympians accomplish.

If anything, to call them Olympians would be kind of insulting since they have to work much harder and smarter to get to where they are to even achieve similar results.

[posted]

extreme olympics?... They aren't mentally challenged and I'm pretty sure most of them would find that offensive, it's like telling someone they are 'special'. Look at what mike said.

They aren't exactly the fastest men in the world, they have to call it something and no one else seems to be bothered by it. It's not offensive, they are the best in their league.

[Anonymous]

No, our world has become so PC that using euphamisms has gotten out of hand. The people have come to terms with having a disability. I don't think they feel like lesser people because of a word that's applied to them. Why are you automatically associating a stigma to the word "paraolympics." It's not a derogatory term or anything.

[jacquesvol]

"That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2 link )

[palek]

They originally called it the Gimpolympics, so I think Paralympics is a big improvement.

[Mike29]

Paralympics just means it runs parallel to the Olympics.

[wallaber]

Lol I hope you're not being serious.

[Mike29]

umm lol I am. Look it up! Olympics runs first and then the paralympics runs second.