Burkina Faso at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Burkina Faso sent a delegation to the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from 29 August to 9 September 2012. This was the country's fifth appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games. The Burkinese delegation to London consisted of two athletes, Lassane Gasbeogo and Kadidia Nikiema, who competed in wheelchair cycling at the Brands Hatch race circuit in Kent. Neither athlete won any medals in their respective events, with the best finish of Burkina Faso at these Paralympics coming from Nikiema in the women's road trial H3 race with a sixth-place result.

Background

Preview

Burkina Faso made its debut in the Paralympic movement at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona. Except for the 2004 Summer Paralympics, the country has competed in every Summer Paralympic Games since, making London its fifth appearance in the quadrennial event. Burkina Faso had not won any Paralympic medals entering the London Games, and has yet to debut in the Winter Paralympic Games. The 2012 Summer Paralympics were held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 with a total of 4,237 athletes representing 164 National Paralympic Committees. Wheelchair cyclists Lassane Gasbeogo and Kadidia Nikiema were the two athletes sent by Burkina Faso to compete at the Games. Nikiema was selected as the flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony.

Preparations

The five-person team, comprising the athletes, a trainer, a physiotherapist, and chef de mission Florentine Ouedraogo, arrived at Gatwick Airport from Burkina Faso on 6 August. A government grant to pay for their residential and training expenses had not materialised due to a mix-up, and the delegation were stranded in the airport. This caused meet-and-greet volunteer and student Liam Conlon to take the male delegates to his home in Abridge, Essex; the women resided with local nuns in Brentwood after they were unable to stay in the accommodation arranged through Kent County Council. Burkina Faso thus avoided having to withdraw from the Paralympics due to funding concerns, unlike Malawi and Botswana. Conlon then persuaded Brentwood School to allow the athletes to use its running track for free. Their handcycle was subsequently deemed to be in non-compliance with Paralympic specifications and the team contacted suppliers from the United Kingdom and overseas since they lacked time to do fundraising. The Birmingham-based cycling and therapy retailer Quest 88, sold a replacement cycle at cost, and paid to ship it from France.

Both athletes were well received within the Brentwood community. They developed a more permanent relationship with Brentwood School, with its pupils and teachers organising a non-uniform day, dressing up in the colours of the flag of Burkina Faso as a mark of respect and to raise capital for the team. Conlon spoke of the reception the team received in Brentwood, "I had no idea how much of a community there was in the UK before they arrived, there were so many people involved in helping them, and the athletes loved everyone they met. Wherever they went there was a mob of people wanting to take photographs, and everyone welcomed the team with open arms.”

Disability classification

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories: amputation, which may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, though there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; and Les Autres, which is any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, like dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities. Other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.

Road cycling

Both of Burkina Faso's athletes competed in road cycling events at the Brands Hatch race track in Kent from 5 to 8 September. They shared a handcycle since the delegation's resources were limited.

Men

Gasbeogo was 26 years old and the youngest athlete to represent Burkina Faso at the Games. He had previously competed for Burkina Faso at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

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