A very cool experience to relate:

Last week, I got to go with a group of other IUP students to see the finals of the Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby competition on the next to last day of the games. If you've never run into the sport before, you can take a look over on Youtube. Anyway, we got to see both the bronze medal match between Great Britain and Canada and the gold medal match between the United States and Australia. This was held over at the sports arena of the Beijing Science and Technology University - a small but very nice venue with the full security and decorative trappings of an Olympic event. 

This sport is fairly unique, and those of you into rules (hi, Benn) would have really liked it as it still seems a bit formative. Essentially, it's a game played on a basketball court, four to a side with a goal line that must be crossed in possession of the ball for one point. It's also as full contact as wheelchairs can be, with the wheelchairs looking more like personal battle platforms than assistive moving devices. Players are free to check each other off the ball, tangle their wheels together etc. as well as make passes, handoffs, nice spin moves off the pick etc. This contact gave it the nickname "murderball." 

The first match was pretty boring to watch honestly, but the gold medal game was excellent with lots of defense and stronger team play. Australia had by far the best player on the court but he wasn't enough to overcome the balanced U.S. squad. The only issue with this great sport that I could see was the fact that cherry picking of long passes runs rampant - there's no offsides rule and there's no goalkeeper. 

Anyway, it was cool to be there with lots of Americans - they did the typical overboard fans routine and painted chests, started plenty of English and Chinese chants to the consternation of the confused Chinese volunteers tasked with shushing the crowd, and overall had a good time watching the U.S. win. Australia has a fun little chant they do (Aussia, Oi!) but they needed to get into it a little more ;)

It goes without saying that watching people play this game, some without hands, is pretty inspiring. Watching them receive the gold medal after the game was easily one of the best sporting moments I've been a part of. 

P.S. My camera died after taking eight pictures, but I'll post what little I got later today.

P.P.S. A couple shots that sort of came out. If editing weren't such a huge pain I'd add some more.

 

Nicely done exterior - full regalia.

The teams warming up before the bronze medal game. Although the press seats across the arena are empty, the stands were totally filled on our side and in the end zones by the time of the match.