Atletas paralímpicos que competem nos jogos olímpicos e as implicações potenciais para os jogos paralímpicos

The 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro, reignited public interest and discussion around Paralympic athletes attempting to qualify for, and compete at, the Olympic Games. That Paralympians have sought to compete at the Olympic Games is, however, not new. This paper looks at the largely unrecognised and often underreported history of Paralympians competing at the Olympic Games and addresses why it is that Paralympians may wish to compete at the Olympic Games. To do this we use historical examples, but also look at the contemporary cases of 3 such athletes: Jason Smyth, Alan Fonteles Cardoso and Markus Rehm. The paper also explores whether or not with advances in medical and prosthetic technologies, as well as potentially increased income and funding, we can expect to see more Paralympians attempting to crossover and compete in the Olympic Games in the future. The methodology used is one of qualitative case studies. The research question was: "What can be learned from the media coverage of Smyth, Oliveira and Rehm’s attempts to qualify for the Olympic Games?†We identify the type of editorial (political, social, cultural, sportive, educational, economic or gossip column); whether or not pictures were used (type of approach - sportive, personal or disability) and the narrative interpretations. We argue that how newspapers choose to report on the aims of Paralympians wishing to compete in the Olympics and the level of coverage that they receive it important. This level of depth of coverage suggests both positive and negative implications for the Paralympic Games, should this trend of athletes wishing to crossover continue.Os Jogos Olímpicos e Paralímpicos de 2016 realizados no Rio de Janeiro, reencararam o interesse público e levaram a tona a discussão em torno dos atletas paralímpicos que buscam se qualificar e competir para os Jogos Olímpicos. O assunto não é novidade no que se trata do interesse de atletas paralímpicos em competir nos Jogos Olímpicos. Este artigo olha com profundidade na discussão e evidências históricas com base em reportagens jornalísticas dos atletas paralímpicos que queriam competir nos Jogos Olímpicos Rio 2016 e apresenta outros casos de paralímpicos ao longo da história que fizeram parte dos Jogos Olímpicos. Foram avaliados os casos dos atletas Paralímpicos: Jason Smyth, Alan Fonteles Cardoso e Markus Rehm. A metodologia utilizada neste artigo é uma análise qualitativa dos casos tratados pela mídia brasileira a respeito dos atletas. A questão da pesquisa foi: "o que pode ser aprendido com a cobertura da mídia nas tentativas de Smyth, Oliveira e Rehm para se qualificar para os Jogos Olímpicos?". Identificamos o tipo de coluna editorial (política, social, cultural, esportiva, educacional, econômica e fofoca). Foram observadas também as imagens usadas e o tipo de abordagem sobre a fotografia apresentada, qualificando-as como foco: esportivo, pessoal ou sobre a deficiência - e, realizou-se uma leitura das interpretações narrativas de acordo com a importância dada. Como conclusão, entedeu-se que esse nível de profundidade de cobertura, sugere implicações tanto positivas quanto negativas para os Jogos paraolímpicos, quando tende-se a colocar os Jogos Olímpicos em evidência mediante aos atletas

DIAMOND OF THE DESERT: THE CASE OF QATAR’S 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP

For the first time in the Arab world, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 was one of the main drivers for promoting important infrastructural changes in the country, as well as for transforming the image of Qatar in order to make the destination more attractive to foreign tourists. However, despite the great wealth from its Oil & Gas reserves, several social challenges that historically affect the country began to emerge due to greater coverage of the international media, threatening the expectations of positive legacies left on the country\u27s image from the event. Given this context, the case puts the reader in the role of Ahmed Al-Nasr, then Chairman of the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, as he faces different pressures made by major international brands sponsoring the event who now see their image threatened by successive controversies that the country has been involved in and they are threatening to withdraw their support and investments. The case is indicated for undergraduate and graduate students of courses in the area of Tourism, Sport Management, and Business interested in discussing topics and concepts related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibility, management of mega events, international marketing, and country destination image

Factores que influyen sobre las actitudes hacia la participación de la mujer en el deporte

Sport through the influence of educational institutions improve the promotion of gender equity. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of gender, area of academic formation and sports practice over the attitudes towards women's participation in sports by the student community of the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAdeO). A cross-sectional study with correlational-explanatory scope was realized with 3,716 (71.3% women and 28.7% men) UAdeO students. The scale about the perception of attitudes towards women's participation in sports (AWPS) was applied. Comparisons were made according to gender, type of sport practice and area of study and regression coefficients were calculated between the sociodemographic variables and the AWPS using the method of introducing variables. The results show that the gender, sports practice, and area of study variables were significant predictors of three scales of the AWPS. Likewise, differences were observed in the AWPS factors as a function of sociodemographic variables. It is possible to conclude that the attitudes towards women's participation in sport of the participants are influenced by the variables gender, sport practice and area of studies.El deporte a través de la influencia de las instituciones educativas favorece la promoción de la equidad de género. El objetivo fue analizar la influencia del género, área de formación académica y práctica deportiva sobre las actitudes hacia la participación de las mujeres en el deporte por parte de la comunidad estudiantil de la Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAdeO). Se realizó un estudio transversal con alcance correlacional-explicativo en 3,716 (71.3% mujeres y 28.7% hombres) estudiantes de la UAdeO. Se aplicó la escala sobre la percepción de las actitudes hacia la participación de las mujeres en el deporte (EAPMD). Se realizaron comparaciones en función del género, tipo de práctica deportiva y área de estudios y se calcularon los coeficientes de regresión entre las variables sociodemográficas y la EAPMD. Los resultados muestran que las variables género, práctica deportiva y área de estudios fueron predictores significativos de tres escalas de la EAPMD. Asimismo, se observaron diferencias en los factores de la EAPMD en función de las variables sociodemográficas. Es posible concluir que las actitudes hacia la participación de las mujeres en el deporte de los participantes están influidas por las variables género, práctica deportiva y área de estudios

TIFL Games in the Arab world:How the Baby Olympics is used as a pathway for sport promotion and Olympic education?

In the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, the Arabic term ‘tifl’ is used to refer to both baby and child. The aim of this research study was to understand the motives of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the MENA region to invest, organise and promote the ‘Tifl Games’, also known as ‘Baby Olympics’. The toddlers compete for the ultimate prize in various sport events which try to embody the core Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. The situational analysis methodology based on qualitative data after the digital review of the events was utilised for the study. The NOCs of the MENA region were observed through the official websites, social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter), news and digital reports. The results show that the opportunity to develop consumer engagement and future talent identification are the main reasons for the organisation of the events. The existence of misconceptions in the MENA region regarding the practise of sports by toddlers was also highlighted in this study. The lack of elite athletes or high-performance sports programmes opened a new door to promote the message of Olympism for the youth generation. The conclusions alert that it is necessary to avoid the precocious training or competition in early age stages. Unconventional training regimes coupled with the inhumane treatment the young athletes are subjected to shed light on the great lengths some countries are willing to go to claim supremacy in the sporting arena. The ‘Tifl Games’ are an excellent opportunity for sport participation, sport promotion and Olympic education in a region with a deficit of sport for development though care should be taken by the NOCs to protect the human rights, adhere to the child protection policy and avoid exploitation of the young athletes

Training practices of Filipino athletes during the early COVID-19 lockdown

The imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restricted the daily activities of many people, including athletes. This study investigated the training practices of athletes in the Philippines during the early COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 442 athletes answered an online survey (May-July 2020), with questions pertaining to training practices, such as training frequency and duration. Data were analyzed according to: athlete classification (world-class, international, national, state, or recreational), sport category (individual or team), and sex (male or female). During lockdown, significant reductions in training frequency (except recreational, i.e., lower pre-lockdown training) and duration were observed for all athletic classifications. Similarly, training frequency and duration decreased significantly irrespective of sport category and sex. World class athletes appeared to be less affected by lockdown (types of exercise and specific training) as compared to lower classification athletes. Athletes grouped in accordance with sex and sport category demonstrated little to no difference in training practices during the COVID-19 lockdown. The findings of the current study highlight the challenges experienced by athletes during lockdown, which may aid policy makers in the development of guidelines related to lockdown or lockdown-like situations to establish appropriate support for affected athletes

Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries

Background Although several studies have shown that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has had negative impacts on mental health and eating behaviors among the general population and athletes, few studies have examined the long-term effects on elite and sub-elite athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health and eating behaviors in elite versus sub-elite athletes two years into the pandemic. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between March and April 2022, involving athletes from 14 countries, using a convenient non-probabilistic and snowball sampling method. A total of 1420 athletes (24.5 ± 7.9 years old, 569 elites, 35% women, and 851 sub-elites, 45% women) completed an online survey-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic survey, information about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items (DASS-21) for mental health assessment, and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S) for assessing eating behavior. Results The results showed that compared to sub-elite athletes, elite athletes had lower scores on the DASS-21 (p = .001) and its subscales of depression (p = .003), anxiety (p = .007), and stress (p < .001), as well as a lower REAP-S score indicating lower diet quality (p = .013). Conclusion In conclusion, two years into the pandemic, elite athletes were likelier to have better mental health profiles than sub-elite athletes but surprisingly had lower diet quality. Key Points Elite athletes had better mental health profiles compared to sub-elite athletes, with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Elite athletes reported greater psychological support and perceived themselves as more financially secure during the pandemic than sub-elite athletes do. Elite athletes were more likely to have poor eating habits compared to sub-elite athletes

Sleep Quality and Physical Activity as Predictors of Mental Wellbeing Variance in Older Adults during COVID-19 Lockdown:ECLB COVID-19 International Online Survey

Background. The COVID-19 lockdown could engender disruption to lifestyle behaviors, thus impairing mental wellbeing in the general population. This study investigated whether sociodemographic variables, changes in physical activity, and sleep quality from pre- to during lockdown were predictors of change in mental wellbeing in quarantined older adults. Methods. A 12-week international online survey was launched in 14 languages on 6 April 2020. Forty-one research institutions from Europe, Western-Asia, North-Africa, and the Americas, promoted the survey. The survey was presented in a differential format with questions related to responses "pre" and "during" the lockdown period. Participants responded to the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results. Replies from older adults (aged &gt;55 years, n = 517), mainly from Europe (50.1%), Western-Asia (6.8%), America (30%), and North-Africa (9.3%) were analyzed. The COVID-19 lockdown led to significantly decreased mental wellbeing, sleep quality, and total physical activity energy expenditure levels (all p &lt; 0.001). Regression analysis showed that the change in total PSQI score and total physical activity energy expenditure (F-(2,F- 514) = 66.41 p &lt; 0.001) were significant predictors of the decrease in mental wellbeing from pre- to during lockdown (p &lt; 0.001, R-2: 0.20). Conclusion. COVID-19 lockdown deleteriously affected physical activity and sleep patterns. Furthermore, change in the total PSQI score and total physical activity energy expenditure were significant predictors for the decrease in mental wellbeing.</p

Training during the COVID-19 lockdown : knowledge, beliefs, and practices of 12,526 athletes from 142 countries and six continents

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March–June 2020). RESULTS Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to “maintain training,” and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is “okay to not train during lockdown,” with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered “coaching by correspondence (remote coaching)” to be sufficient (highest amongst world-class athletes). During lockdown, < 40% were able to maintain sport-specific training (e.g., long endurance [39%], interval training [35%], weightlifting [33%], most (83%) training for “general fitness and health maintenance” during lockdown. Athletes trained alone (80%) and focused on bodyweight (65%) and cardiovascular (59%) exercise/training during lockdown. Compared with before lockdown, most athletes reported reduced training frequency (from between five and seven sessions per week to four or fewer), shorter training sessions (from ≥ 60 to < 60 min), and lower sport-specific intensity (~ 38% reduction), irrespective of athlete classification. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19-related lockdowns saw marked reductions in athletic training specificity, intensity, frequency, and duration, with notable within-sample differences (by athlete classification). Higher classification athletes had the strongest desire to “maintain” training and the greatest opposition to “not training” during lockdowns. These higher classification athletes retained training specificity to a greater degree than others, probably because of preferential access to limited training resources. More higher classification athletes considered “coaching by correspondence” as sufficient than did lower classification athletes. These lockdown-mediated changes in training were not conducive to maintenance or progression of athletes’ physical capacities and were also likely detrimental to athletes’ mental health. These data can be used by policy makers, athletes, and their multidisciplinary teams to modulate their practice, with a degree of individualization, in the current and continued pandemic-related scenario. Furthermore, the data may drive training-related educational resources for athletes and their multidisciplinary teams. Such upskilling would provide athletes with evidence to inform their training modifications in response to germane situations (e.g., COVID related, injury, and illness).A specific funding was provided by the National Sports Institute of Malaysia for this study.The National Sports Institute of Malaysia.https://www.springer.com/journal/40279am2023Sports Medicin

COVID-19 lockdown : a global study investigating athletes’ sport classification and sex on training practices

PURPOSE : To investigate differences in athletes’ knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. METHODS : Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May–July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. RESULTS : During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (∼50%) than other sports (∼35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed cardiorespiratory training (trivial sex differences). Compared to prelockdown, perceived training intensity was reduced by 29% to 41%, depending on sport (largest decline: ∼38% in team sports, unaffected by sex). Some athletes (range: 7%–49%) maintained their training intensity for strength, endurance, speed, plyometric, change-of-direction, and technical training. Athletes who previously trained ≥5 sessions per week reduced their volume (range: 18%–28%) during lockdown. The proportion of athletes (81%) training ≥60 min/session reduced by 31% to 43% during lockdown. Males and females had comparable moderate levels of training knowledge (56% vs 58%) and beliefs/attitudes (54% vs 56%). CONCLUSIONS : Changes in athletes’ training practices were sport-specific, with few or no sex differences. Team-based sports were generally more susceptible to changes than individual sports. Policy makers should provide athletes with specific training arrangements and educational resources to facilitate remote and/or home-based training during lockdown-type events.https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/ijspp-overview.xmlhj2023Sports Medicin