Paralympics: The Overlooked Younger Brother Behind The Olympics

The Telegraph

The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, in 1960. These games were an evolution of an earlier competition called the Stoke Mandeville Games that was held for athletes in wheelchairs in 1948. The Stoke Mandeville Games only involved 16 servicemen who only did one event. Eventually, the refined Rome Paralympic Games grew into 400 athletes from over 20 countries. The athletes that competed in these games were usually war veterans who sustained an injury during their time in service. The Paralympics continued to grow and expand its sports catalog and eventually began taking place in the same cities and venues as the Olympics. 

2008 onward, the Paralympics and the Olympics have been held consecutively. However, there has always been a disparity of media coverage between these two global games. For example, during the 2016 Rio Olympics there was a 159% difference in media coverage and in the Sochi 2014 Games there was a whopping 194% difference in coverage. This discrepancy is a consistent trend that is easily visible in the graph below.  The issues that arise from this are often very glaring; Paralympics athletes have worked equally, if not exceptionally more, than Olympic athletes, yet they barely get the attention of their Olympic counterparts.

A graph showing the disparity between the two sports events - via BARB, INFOSYS+, OFCOM

A reason for this disparity may be the subtle underlying ableism that still exists in modern society, many major news outlets often view the Paralympics as a secondary side show to the real Olympics. Social Media platforms like Instagram or Youtube have shown many people the true abilities of Paralymians; however, traditional media outlets have been slower to show the Paralympics the same attention. The Paralympics would get exceptionally more views if mainstream sports networks like NBC or Fox simply showed them when they happened. However, since the Paralympics often overlaps with the beginning of the NFL regular season and the NBA regular season, the mainstream networks simply believe the Paralympics would not rack in the same viewership as these sports seasons.

Paralymics Athletes - Via Getty Images

A facile fix for the lack of attention the Paralympics gets would be moving the date of the games. Currently, the Paralympians are held after the Olympics are held. If the Paralympics were to be held before the Olympics, they would no longer be overshadowed by the media coverage of the Olympics. Instead, they would earn center stage for a few months before the Olympics start. Moreover, the numerous Paralympians would also have time to share their story and life which, in turn, gives them power to speak against ableism or to utter their life’s devotion. 

The difference in media coverage between the two games is still very evident. Having said that, there is more room for change now than ever. As social media attention on the Paralympics grows, there will be a public that is more tailored to these games. Eventually, with social change and movements in full force, there is hope for greater visibility and awareness for the Paralympics. These games may even one day overtake its older brother.