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Pity it started so late, as it seemed to go on so long... but had to wait for our team GB walk out, and what a welcome they got... loved the Union flag hubcaps on the wheelchairs, and well done London for putting on the biggest ever sellout of tickets for the games.. well done all competitors..
She was inspired to become a Paralympic athlete after watching the US swimming trials ahead of Beijing in 2008 and went on to win a stunning eight golds and a silver, setting nine world records, at the 2010 World Championships.
That was in the S7 category, but she was reclassified on Monday after evidence was presented to the International Paralympic Committee showing she was not in the correct class. A US Paralympic Committee appeal was rejected on Wednesday.
"I was always borderline of the S6 and the S7 category, so for me to be moved up to an S8 was very hard," she said. "It's not something I expected.
"It changes my events, it changes a lot of things, and just like every other athlete here I've spent the last four years training for this moment.
Sad to say the US has essentially ignored it, it's not televised here although they'll supposedly show a run down after they're over. Many people didn't even know they existed - when I mentioned it they thought I was talking about the Special Olympics.
At least the wonderful opening ceremony is viewable on YouTube - don't have the link, but just search for "opening ceremony paralympics 2012" and it should appear - do make sure you look at the longest of several versions, however, and block out close to four hours to see it in its entirety!
I can't imagine it not being on TV in the States as it's been on practically all day on Channel 4 over here and covered pretty well. I haven't watched it as obsessively as I did the Olympics but I've seen a fair bit. Great to see such big crowds, and of course a hell of a lot of Team GB success The longer wheelchair athletics races actually make for a better spectacle than the able-bodied ones, ditto the swimming relays where you've got people with different levels of disability in the pool at the same time and you can't tell who's really winning.
5.5 hours total (replayed) on NBCSports which is hardly a popular or ubiquitous channel. Not exactly mainstream or primetime, is it?
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The longer wheelchair athletics races actually make for a better spectacle than the able-bodied ones, ditto the swimming relays where you've got people with different levels of disability in the pool at the same time and you can't tell who's really winning.
