Paralympic Winter Games Research Articles

Analysis of Political Documents from the Perspective of Register Theory—Analysis of Sustainability Policy for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

Analysis of Political Documents from the Perspective of Register Theory—Analysis of Sustainability Policy for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

Evaluation of SWER(Ze) Relationships by Precipitation Imaging Package (PIP) during ICE-POP 2018

Abstract Improving estimation of snow water equivalent rate (SWER) from radar reflectivity (Ze), known as a SWER(Ze) relationship, is a priority for NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission ground validation program as it is needed to comprehensively validate spaceborne precipitation retrievals. This study investigates the performance of eight operational and four research-based SWER(Ze) relationships utilizing Precipitation Imaging Probe (PIP) observations from the International Collaborative Experiment for Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (ICE-POP 2018) field campaign. During ICE-POP 2018, there were 10 snow events that are classified by synoptic conditions as either cold low or warm low, and a SWER(Ze) relationship is derived for each event. Additionally, a SWER(Ze) relationship is derived for each synoptic classification by merging all events within each class. Two new types of SWER(Ze) relationships are derived from PIP measurements of bulk density and habit classification. These two physically based SWER(Ze) relationships provided superior estimates of SWER when compared to the operational, event-specific, and synoptic SWER(Ze) relationships. For estimates of the event snow water equivalent total, the event-specific, synoptic, and best-performing operational SWER(Ze) relationships outperformed the physically based SWER(Ze) relationship, although the physically based relationships still performed well. This study recommends using the density or habit-based SWER(Ze) relationships for microphysical studies, whereas the other SWER(Ze) relationships are better suited toward hydrologic application.

Utah In Focus

Other| April 01 2023 Utah In Focus Utah Historical Quarterly (2023) 91 (2): 168. https://doi.org/10.5406/26428652.91.2.08 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Utah In Focus. Utah Historical Quarterly 1 April 2023; 91 (2): 168. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/26428652.91.2.08 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressUtah Historical Quarterly Search Advanced Search Monte Meier celebrates at the finish line, March 15, 2002, at the Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games. Team USA's Meier, who lost his right leg at age eight in a gardening accident, won the silver medal in the LW2 Class downhill slalom event at the Snowbasin Resort in Weber County. From March 7–16, 2002, soon after Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the eighth Winter Paralympics took place at the same venues. From 1996 to 2003, about 3.5 billion dollars were spent preparing for the games, which included expanding Interstate-15 and introducing the TRAX light rail system. The 2002 games would go on to have an important impact on Utah's economy and worldwide image. Utah State Historical Society, MssC_1514_002_004_044.jpg. You do not currently have access to this content.

Study on Wind-Proof Effect and Stability of Windbreak Fence in Alpine Skiing Center

As a venue for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the National Alpine Skiing Center is located on Xiaohaitou Mountain in Beijing’s Yanqing district, where strong winds occur frequently. To reduce the impact of strong winds on the competition, windbreak fences have been installed in the ski area. To determine the effect and stability of the windbreak fences beside the ski slope of the alpine skiing center, the numerical simulation method was used to study the performance of 3.7 m, 4.7 m and 7.9 m high wind barriers. According to the actual meteorological conditions, two kinds of inlet wind speeds of 10 m/s and 33 m/s were set. The results show that the ambient wind speed is maximum only in a small area near the opening through the windbreak fence. When the ambient wind speed is 10 and 33 m/s, the wind speed in most drainage areas behind the barrier is below 5 and 15 m/s, respectively, which is significantly lower than the wind speed of incoming flow, and the wind protection effect is obvious. When the wind speed at the entrance height is 10 m and 33 m/s, the wind-proof effect is obvious. The wind-proof effect of 7.9 m high windproof bars is better than that of 3.7 and 4.7 m high windproof bars. The wind pressure at the top of the fence is the highest, and the wind pressure also increases when the wind speed increases. Under the action of maximum wind speed, the stability of a 7.9 m high storm fence is low.

Characteristics of PM2.5 and secondary inorganic pollution formation during the heating season of 2021 in Beijing

Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) were measured online in Beijing during the heating season of 2021, during which Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were hosted. The characteristics of PM2.5 and water-soluble inorganic ions were investigated in general, as well as during the clean period, polluted period, and Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games periods. It was found that most of the polluted episodes occurred under conditions of low wind speed, temperature inversion, and high relative humidity. The total mass concentration of water-soluble inorganic ions during the polluted period and the clean period accounted for 38.2% and 61.4% of the PM2.5 mass concentration, respectively. Both the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) showed a strong relationship with relative humidity. During the polluted period, the concentrations of secondary aerosols such as sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA) increased significantly. Secondary transformation was enhanced compared with that in the clean period. A polluted process after a snowfall event was selected to explore the mechanism of sulfate and nitrate formation under high relative humidity. The results would be beneficial to understanding the causes of pollution and helping the government to formulate effective measures to control air pollution in winter.

Explanation of the Support for Hokkaido Sapporo 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Arguments against Them

Explanation of the Support for Hokkaido Sapporo 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Arguments against Them

Overview of the D3R Observations During the ICE-POP Field Campaign With Emphasis on Snow Studies

The International Collaborative Experiment during the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympic winter games 2018 took place in the PyeongChang region of South Korea. The main goal of this field campaign was to study winter precipitation in an environment that has complex terrain. The NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R) was calibrated and deployed in this field campaign. The positioning error of the radar was calibrated to be within 0.1°. The D3R was deployed for more than four months and was able to capture many interesting snowfall events along with a few rain events. In this article, the deployment and performance of the D3R during the campaign are discussed. The snowfall events captured by the D3R are discussed in detail to interpret the microphysics from a radar's perspective. The reflectivity–snowfall rate relationship is derived at the Ku band, and the snow accumulation computed is in good agreement with a precipitation gauge that was deployed near the radar. The benefit of the dual-frequency ratio for identifying the precipitation particle types is briefly introduced using the data from a large snow event on 28th February 2018. The vertical profile D3R data for this snow event are studied for detecting the presence of pristine-oriented ice crystals in the mixed hydrometeor phase conditions. Various other instruments, such as X-band radar and disdrometers, were deployed in the campaign. The D3R data are compared with the MxPOL X-band radar, and the reflectivity values match within a couple of dB in the common volume region.

Project of a psychocorrection program to athletes of wheelchair curling

The article describes a correctional program for athletes of the Russian national wheelchair curling team, aimed at improving the indicators of higher mental functions and stress resistance. At the 2021 World Cup, the team took 3rd place, losing in the semifinals, because they could not cope with tension and psychological instability at a crucial moment. At the Winter Paralympic Games held in March 2022, the athletes of the Russian wheelchair curling team had to be emotionally stable, able to maintain high concentration of attention and an unmistakable figurative memory throughout the tournament. To achieve this goal, the coaching staff of the Russian national team proposed the idea of developing a program of psychological correction. This study is a continuation of the diagnosis of the characteristics of the psycho-emotional states of athletes, which was conducted in 2021. Based on the results of the diagnosis, a sports psychologist developed a correctional program. The program is based on breathing control techniques, visualization, ways to control muscle tone, as well as the formation of grounding skills to reduce anxiety levels before competitions. To mobilize the condition, athletes are offered exercises for upper breathing, and for calm and concentration – 4 stages of a single cycle of lower breathing. Athletes are also recommended to prevent muscle clamps by performing exercises for 3 phases "strain – feel – relax". In 2021, a pedagogical experiment lasting ten months was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed methodology. The study involved 9 athletes – members of the main and extended squads of the Russian wheelchair curling team aged 28 to 49 years: 6 men and 3 women.

A comprehensive and high-throughput screening method for multiple prohibited substances by UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS and HPLC-QQQ-MS in human urine for doping control.

Since the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List is updated on an annual basis, screening methods must be continually adapted to align with these changes. In accordance with Technical Document-MRPL 2022, a newly combined, comprehensive, rapid and high-throughput doping control screening method has been developed for the analysis of 350 substances with different polarities in human urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive Plus Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UPLC-QQQ-MS). The limits of detection were in the range of 0.12-50 ng mL-1 for beta-2 agonists, hormone and metabolic modulators, narcotics, cannabinoids and glucocorticoids, 0.1-14 ng mL-1 for the manipulation of blood and blood components, beta blockers, anabolic agents and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activating agents, and 2.5-100 000 ng mL-1 for substances of Appendix A, diuretics & masking agents and stimulants. The sample preparation consisted of two parts: one is the dilute & shoot part analyzed in UPLC-QQQ-MS, another is a mixture of the dilute & shoot part and a liquid-liquid extraction part of hydrolyzed human urine analyzed in UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS in full scan mode with polarity switching and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode. The method has been fully validated for doping control purposes. All the substances were compliant with WADA's required 1/2 minimum requirement performance level (MRPL) or minimum reporting level (MRL), and this method was successfully used in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games for anti-doping purpose.

Influence of the functional class of Paralympic cross-country sit-skiers on the effectiveness of competitive activity (on the example of the sprint distance)

Purpose: to determine the value of the functional classification and its influence on the result of the competitive activity of Paralympic cross-country sit-skiers. Material and methods: to solve the problems of the study, the data of 164 Paralympic cross-country sit-skiers were analyzed, including 98 men and 66 women, participants of the Winter Paralympic Games, namely: Sochi 2014 – 47 athletes (24 men and 25 women) PyeongChang 2018 – 61 men and 25 women), Beijing 2022 – 56 athletes (38 men and 18 women) with a functional class LW10-12 and are representatives of the sitting category, performing in the sprint ski race. During the study, the following methods were used: theoretical analysis of scientific and methodological literature and Internet sources, generalization of best practices, analysis of protocols and videos of competitive activity, methods of mathematical statistics. Results: changes were revealed in relation to representatives of different classes in the final round of the sprint ski race among athletes of the sitting category: Sochi 2014: men – LW10 – 1 and LW12 – 5, women – LW11 – 2 and LW12 – 4; PyeongChang 2018: men – LW11.5 – 1 and LW12 – 5, women – LW11 – 1 and LW12 – 5; Beijing 2022: men LW10 – 2, LW11.5 – 1 and LW12, women – LW10 – 1, LW10.5 – 1, LW11.5 – 1 and LW12 – 3. Conclusions: it has been proven that one of the topical issues in holding competitions among athletes with disabilities is the classification process aimed at fair competition between athletes, despite their individual functional capabilities; despite this, modern research proves that there are some factors that affect the result of competitive activity, but which are not taken into account by the classification system; the modern classification strategy is aimed at improving this process (percentage system), which helps to increase the competitiveness of representatives of all classes included in the sitting category.

Incidence and burden of illness at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games held during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective cohort study of 66 045 athlete days

ObjectiveTo describe the incidence and burden of illness at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which was organised with strict COVID-19 countermeasures.MethodsDaily illnesses were recorded via the web-based injury and illness...

Analysis of Thermal Insulation Thickness for a Container House in the Yanqing Zone of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

A large number of temporary housings (THs) were used in the Yanqing zone of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Taking a kind of container house (CH) used in Yanqing zone as a model, the objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of insulation thickness on heating energy consumption and corresponding carbon emission. The effect of service life of THs on economic thickness was also discussed. The simulation model was developed using EnergyPlus and the heating energy consumption with different insulation materials was simulated based on the meteorological parameters of the top of Xiaohaituo Mountain (2177.5 m) and the Olympic/Paralympic Village (950 m) in Yanqing zone. In the simulation process, the thermal insulation performance of the CH was enhanced with reference to the requirements of GB/T 51350-2019 Technical Standard for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) on one hand. Additionally, the insulation performance was evaluated in terms of payback period and carbon emission. On the other hand, the economic thickness of different insulation materials (rock wool (RW), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane (PU)) and the high performance vacuum insulation panel (HVIP)) for different service lives of CH was studied. Results show that the U-values of the envelope meeting the NZEB standard can decrease approximately 21.4-32.8% of the heating energy consumption, compared with the original envelope. When the service life of CH is extended to 20 years, the carbon emission is reduced by 18.5% and 29.5%. The payback period of HVIP is longest, up to 31.4 a, and the results of economic thickness show that when the service life of the CH ranges from 1 year to 20 years, the economic thickness range of RW is 47-235 mm, XPS is 41-197 mm, PU is 33-149 mm and HVIP is 4-18 mm at the altitude of 2177.5 m. At the altitude of 950 m, the economic thickness range of RW is 28-158 mm, XPS is 26-131 mm, PU is 25-118 mm, and HVIP is 2-12 mm. From an economic point of view, the service life of a CH has a significant impact on the choice of insulation thickness.

Policy decision of curling in real competition scenes

Policy decision of curling refers to providing strategy suggestions for curling competition with the help of computers. Existing curling agents have achieved good results in the digital scenarios, but cannot make correct decisions when applied to actual competition and training scenes. In this paper, a strategies decision agent in the real scene has been proposed. The competition situation was acquired by a Situation-Aware Network and mapped by a Digital Extraction module. We designed Curling MCTS to explore the best strategy in continuous space. The effectiveness of our framework has been verified by experiments and evaluated by China’s wheelchair curling team at China Disabled Sports Management Center. With the help of our system, China’s wheelchair curling team trained effectively and won the championship in the XIII Paralympic Winter Games (2022, Beijing). In addition, a new curling target detection dataset was provided.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE COVID-19 PREVENTIVE MEASURES AT THE TOKYO 2020 AND BEIJING 2022 OLYMPIC GAMES

National and international sports are well recognized in the international Olympic movement. The Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are the major global sporting events, uniting the entire world together for world peace. Managing the health and safety of athletes at these top sporting events is an important task. During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, sound organisational policies and effective preventive measures to protect athletes from infection at the Olympic Games were essential. Currently, there is not much information on the spread of COVID-19 infection in sports events and the effectiveness of preventive measures. The present study analyses the preventive measures for COVID-19 at Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The study is based on the official documents of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee. It compares the COVID-19 spread and preventive measures taken by the organisers at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

From Sagen to Henriques: Legal Challenges to Olympic Event Selection Decisions and the Role of the Court of Arbitration for Sport

The interests of athletes are a fundamental aspect of the Olympic Movement. Yet, athletes face jurisdictional barriers when attempting to advance their interests and challenge the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s exercise of authority over the Olympic Movement, including the IOC’s decisions regarding which sport events are included in the Olympic Games. Previous attempts to challenge the IOC’s selection of sport events for the Olympic Games have been unsuccessful in national courts, as seen in the case of Sagen v. Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (“Sagen”) involving women’s ski jumping. Following the outcome in Sagen, academics theorized that athletes might have better success challenging Olympic event selection decisions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as CAS has several jurisdictional advantages over national courts. A recent CAS decision in Henriques v. IOC (“Henriques”), involving the exclusion of women’s 50 km race walking from the 2020 Olympic Games, casts doubt on this approach as CAS dismissed the application due to the lack of an arbitration agreement between the appellants and the IOC. However, the outcome in Henriques should not deter athletes from using CAS to challenge the IOC’s Olympic event selection decisions in future cases. It is arguable that the CAS panel’s reasoning in Henriques did not properly consider how the arbitration clause in the Olympic Charter could form the basis of an arbitration agreement between the appellants and the IOC under Swiss law. Additionally, the CAS panel’s decision in Henriques can be used to inform legal strategies in subsequent disputes to ensure that CAS is able to hold the IOC accountable for Olympic event selection decisions that are discriminatory or otherwise unlawful.

Evidence of a Social Legacy from Volunteering at the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Mega-sport events, like Olympic and Paralympic Games, typically promise host communities that beneficial legacies will remain beyond the life of the event; however, there is little postevent research supporting these claims. Conducted 3 years after the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, this research is one of few to explore the social legacy of volunteerism following an Olympic and Paralympic Games. A previously developed anonymous online survey was distributed via the event's 26 volunteer centers. Analysis included principal components analysis and independent samplesttests. The results demonstrate that social legacies can be achieved, albeit at a level lower than may be indicated by surveys conducted at the time of the event. By being strategic in their recruitment and training of volunteers, future mega-sport event organizers may be more effective in achieving social legacies, in sport, events, and tourism, that add to a host community's social and human capitals.

Monitoring mental distress in Para athletes in preparation, during and after the Beijing Paralympic Games 2022: A 22 week prospective mixed-method study.

It is common in elite sport to monitor athletes' training load, injuries and illnesses, but mental distress is rarely included. An improved understanding of the epidemiology of mental distress among elite Para athletes and how their coaches perceive such monitoring would allow us to better develop and implement preventive measures. The purpose of this study was therefore to (1) prospectively describe elite Para athletes' mental distress, before, during and after the Beijing Paralympic Games (Paralympics Games 22 = PG22); and to (2) gain a better understanding of if and potentially how awareness of athletes' mental distress changed, through weekly monitoring, and influenced how coachers perceive athletes' mental distress and if they accounted for this before, during and after PG22. A mixed-method study design was used, in which prospective mental distress (depression and anxiety) data were collected weekly from 13 [Swedish] elite Para athletes in preparation, during and after PG22. Data were screened and evaluated weekly by a physiotherapist and a sports psychologist, and coaches also received weekly reports. A focus-group interview with the coaches were conducted post Paralympics to address coaches' awareness about mental distress and athlete health monitoring in Parasport. For data analyses, descriptive statistics was used for the quantitative data and a content analysis was conducted for the qualitative data. The results reveled the following proportion of datapoints indicating symptoms of anxiety and depression: before PG22 (15.8 and 19.1%); during PG22 (47.6 and 38.2%); and after PG22 (0 and 11.8%). The qualitative results indicated that coaches perceived athlete health monitoring as helpful for increasing their awareness of mental distress, and as a useful tool to initiate support for their athletes as well as improving their coaching. In summary, this cohort of elite Para athletes reported a high proportion of mental distress during the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing. The results also show that it is important and feasible to monitor Para athletes' mental distress to detect and manage early symptoms of mental distress.

Assessing spectator motivation for the Paralympics: the mediating role of attitude

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of para-sport spectator motivation on spectator revisit intentions and the mediating effect of attitude on motivation and revisit intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted in the context of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games. A total of 350 respondents completed a survey. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the data.FindingsInspiration, supercrip image, physical skill/aesthetics, and social interaction had strong influences on attitudes toward Winter Paralympics, and attitude was also shown to have a strong impact on revisit intentions. The results also revealed the mediating effect of attitude on para-sports motivation factors (inspiration, supercrip image, physical skill/aesthetics, and social interaction) and revisit intentions.Originality/valueThis study extends the literature on para-sport spectator motivation. Although there are a few studies examining spectators' motivation to attend para-sport events, there is limited research on the relationships among motivation, attitude, and revisit intention based on consumer attitude theories. The results are valuable to sport managers in increasing the propensity of para-sports events by understanding the factors that lead to changes in attitudes and increases in future attendance.

Sports Injury and Physiotherapy Services in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games: Considerations and Potential Recommendations for Future Paralympics

Haeun Park, PT, BPT, Joon Young Chang, MSc, PT, Jongseok Hwang, PhD, PT, Young Hee Lee, PhD, MD, Joshua (Sung) Hyun You, PT, PhD. Phys. Ther. Korea 2022;29:241-8. https://doi.org/10.12674/ptk.2022.29.3.241

Characteristics of PM2.5 Pollution in Beijing During the Historical Period of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games

Based on the dataset derived from January to March between 2015 and 2021 in Beijing, the PM2.5 pollution characteristics and its potential source regions during the historical period of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games were investigated. From 2015 to 2018, both the number of severely polluted days (daily average ρ(PM2.5)>75 μg·m-3) and the average PM2.5 concentrations during severe pollution episodes decreased significantly in the period of January to March. While, neither variable has changed obviously since 2018. On average, severely polluted days occurred 23 times in each year between 2018 and 2021 during the period of January to March, and the average of ρ(PM2.5) was approximately 120.0 μg·m-3 during such polluted days. From January to March in 2015-2021, the severely polluted event with more than 5 consecutive polluted days occurred 2-3 times in each year, and the severest one lasted 8 d. During the historical period of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, severely polluted days took place 2-9 d every year. The large quantities of fireworks during the Spring Festival maybe one of important primary sources of the PM2.5. The number of severely polluted days during the historical period of the Paralympic Winter Games ranged from 1 to 5 d, except for 2021 with 9 d owing to the frequent stagnant weather condition. The PM2.5 chemical composition was dominated by secondary species on severely polluted days during the historical period of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games. Nitrate accounted for 46% of the measurable chemical components of PM2.5 during severe pollution events in 2020, which was remarkably higher than that during clean days in the same year (11%). The mass fraction of SO42- ranged from 12% to 19% in 2018-2020, indicating that the contribution of sulfate was much less, but cannot be ignored. The main potential source regions of PM2.5 in Beijing during the period concerned in this study were central and western Inner Mongolia, Hebei Province, Tianjin City, Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, central and western Shandong Province, and northern Henan Province.