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force to enjoy the sport and cheer on their
compatriots. The Paralympic movement
is still growing and developing fast, with
nations increasing their investment in
Paralympic sport and the IPC driving
further increases in the global audience
of the Games from the 154 nations which
broadcast coverage from Rio. Standards
were higher this year across the board
compared to London and I have no doubt
that will be so again in 2020. There is still
plenty of room for the movement to grow,
and I am optimistic that Paralympic sport
and athletes will continue to captivate
and inspire on an international scale in
the very same way that we have seen at
recent Games.
LN:
The exceptional London 2012 Paralympic
Games were a pivotal moment in the
Paralympic movement with packed
venues and millions more watching
on television helping to changing the
perceptions of British society towards
disabled people. We are confident that
following the historic achievement of our
inspirational athletes who finished second
in the Paralympic medal table in Rio with
147 medals there will be a new generation
of Paralympic heroes to add to the ranks
of those already-established names as we
build towards Tokyo and beyond.
The remarkable achievements of our
Paralympic athletes, building on the
success achieved in London demonstrates
the strength and depth of the high
performance system we have built in the
UK. UK Sport recognised the opportunity
but also the increasing competitive nature
of Paralympic sport when it increased
investment for the Rio cycle by around
45% when compared to London.
This is success by design, long term
planning, a commitment from successive
governments to Paralympic success and
expert people. The world leading games
time environment delivered by the
British Paralympic Association was also
key to ensure our athletes were the best
prepared of any nation competing in Rio.
UK Sport invests National Lottery funding
into Paralympic sports and athletes in
exactly the same way as their Olympic
counterparts – and as we have seen if you
Adam is also a wonderful ambassador for
his sport and an inspiration to so many.
TH:
This is the hardest, most unfair question
of the lot…. There were so many special
and wonderful highlights on and off the
field of play – my role as Secretary General
is truly a privileged one given how broad
my involvement at the Games is.
I could name anything from the myriad
of medal moments I witnessed, to the
fantastic international reception we held
at British House to visiting our incredible
home in the Athletes’ Village and seeing
what a great job the whole team was
doing.
If I were to pick one, it should be watching
the medal target of 121 being surpassed
in the company of the Minister for Sport
Tracey Crouch and UK Sport CEO Liz
Nicholl.
We all professionally had much at stake
in that target and it was special to share
it with Liz in particular given her brilliant
leadership of the Rio cycle and her seeing
ParalympicsGB match the achievement
that Team GB had already registered. A
fantastic moment.
ME:
The highlights were too numerous to
mention and probably unfair to single out
one sporting moment in particular, but an
overwhelming sense of pride and relief
that the collective performance of the
team was something that had never been
seen before, and in beating China in the
medal table…wonderful.
TY:
My personal highlight was seeing Rebekah
Tiler fulfil her current potential and equal
a British record on the Olympic stage as a
17-year-old – to finish 10th in her weight
category was a fantastic achievement.
Equally I was delighted to see both Ali and
Zoe pick up medals and I am sure all three
have much to offer in years to come.
Away from Weight Lifting, I thought Mo
Farrah was outstanding yet again and you
cannot of course forget the phenomenal
feats of Usain Bolt, who lit up the whole
games with his performances.
have medal potential then our world class
programme will give you the best possible
chance to succeed.
TY:
I think it will continue as more and more
people will re-calibrate what is possible
after being inspired by performances at
the Paralympics. Additionally, there is
much more integration across Olympic
and Paralympic programmes so expertise
is far more readily available to support
future Paralympians and ensure that
there is continued success.
What was your personal highlight of
Rio 2016?
LN:
There are so many wonderful moments
to choose from this historic games but I
think it has to be Adam Peaty breaking the
world record to win Team GB’s first gold
medal of Rio 2016. It gave the team some
real momentum and the way he delivered
his best performance when it mattered
most created a sense of excitement and
expectation around the whole games.
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