Every day at the London Para World Swimming Championships 2012 September 16th, 8:32

The Para-Swimming World Championship held over a week in London was a great success, with a lot of support from the audience every day. London, where the legacy of the Paralympics that citizens get close to watching parasports is a legacy. I looked for something that could be helpful for the Tokyo Paralympics.

Tickets for 135 yen are also available daily at a low price

After finishing the race on the first day, Ayano Kakinai, who participated in the World Championship for the first time, said, “It ’s not the case in Japan and in other countries. I told you.

That should be, according to the organizers, the tournament tickets are sold out even on weekdays and are already sold out on weekends.

The watching fee is only 1 pound in the morning qualifying and about 135 yen in Japanese yen. The final, starting in the evening, is also £ 5, the same price as buying snacks and sandwiches in London.

Many people with families stood out on weekends because they could enjoy watching games at such an affordable price.

A 53-year-old man who visited the venue with his family on Saturday the sixth day of the tournament said, “I came to see Para swimming for the first time because my son wanted to see it. The entrance fee was cheap but the race was powerful.” And satisfied.

A 10-year-old son who is learning swimming said, “I learned about the World Championship because I participated in a swimming competition at this venue. The relay event was very exciting,” he said happily. It was.

Watching games become part of school education

What I saw at the entrance of the venue was the appearance of volunteer staff who distributed the flags of various countries to the audience.

Not only British “Union Jack” but also “Hinomaru” are being distributed. It is a mechanism that enables people all over the world to support their favorite countries.

On the morning of the weekday, children waving the flag of “Union Jack” and supporting the British players hard filled the audience seats.

These children were students and students who were led by teachers and visited for watching. In Britain, watching parasports is part of school education.

The races and players introduced by the children were also adorned with loud music and flashy lighting, giving the audience enjoyment everywhere.

The remaining 2012 legacy and Tokyo…

Mayumi Narita, a veteran who has won 15 gold medals at the Paralympics so far, praises the British environment, saying that this environment is so wonderful that so many spectators come to see it.

On top of that, I renewed my feelings for next year, saying, “I think the Tokyo Paralympic Games is a stage that can be used as an opportunity to get people to know Parasports all over the world.

This World Championship was impressive with the appearance of London citizens who are familiar with parasports. It was felt that the legacy of the 2012 London Paralympic Games remained not only in infrastructure such as barrier-free, but also in people's awareness and behavior.

We are asked what we can learn from London and what kind of legacy we can make in Tokyo for the Tokyo Paralympics that are approaching a year later.