2012 Paralympics: The First Ever to Sell Out Telegraph UK
go to original August 16, 2012

Derek Derenalagi of Great Britain competes in the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester back in May. (Getty)

Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said the public was “more excited” about the Paralympics than he had dared expect, and promised a “fantastic” celebration of sport when the Games begin on Aug 29.

“It can be every bit as defining for Britain as the Olympics was and the nation will be incredibly proud, every bit as proud as it was of the Olympics,” Mr Hollingsworth said.

He also believes that the London Games have the potential to push the Paralympics to a new level.

“It will herald a new era in the Paralympic movement because of the way the British public is embracing it through ticket sales, and the sense of excitement that is building up is sending a strong message to the rest of the world.”

He said the Paralympics, which began in 1948 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, were “coming home” in the same way that the Olympics did at the Athens Games in 2004, and would give the British public “a fantastic 10 days of sport”.

About 4,200 athletes from more than 160 countries will participate in the Games, which will mainly take place in the same venues as the Olympics.

More than 2.1 million tickets have been sold, eclipsing Beijing which sold 1.8 million in 2008, and the remaining 400,000 are expected to be snapped up when they go on sale, making it the first Paralympics to sell out.

Read more at The Telegraph UK

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