PARALYMPICS:MIDDLE EASTERN political tensions were felt at the Paralympics this weekend when Iran's wheelchair basketball team forfeited their quarter-final against the US and withdrew from the Games to avoid meeting bitter rivals Israel.
The political row came on what was a triumphant weekend for Irish Paralympic sports: sprinter Jason Smyth took gold at the Bird's Nest on Saturday in the 100 metres (T13 Vision Impaired category), setting a world record into the bargain, while teenage swimmer Darragh McDonald set an Irish record when he won a silver medal last night in the 400 metre freestyle (S6) at the Water Cube.
Smyth is in action again today in the heats of the 200 metres, and he is a strong favourite to snatch another gold in tomorrow's final, as he already holds the world record. The parallels with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt are flying thick and fast.
While the Irish celebrated, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation were forced to express regret at Iran's decision "and the disruption caused to the tournament".
Until this incident, the Paralympics have been free of the political wranglings that often dog the Olympics.
Politically, this was a tough group of opponents for the Iranians. The winner of the US-Iran match were set to play the winners of Israel-Canada. Iran and the US have no diplomatic relations and Washington has led efforts to persuade Iran to dismantle their nuclear enrichment programme. Iran does not recognise Israel and forbids any official contact with the Jewish state.
Iranian officials said the forfeit was prompted by a change in scheduling and denied the move was politically motivated. However, Iran do have a history of avoiding contact with athletes from Israel, which they regularly refers to as "the Zionist regime".
At the Olympics last month, Iranian swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei withdrew from a 100 metre breaststroke heat that included an Israeli competitor, citing illness.
During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Iranian judo world champion Arash Miresmaeili refused to compete against Ehud Vaks of Israel. He made no secret that he refused to compete for political reasons and Iranian government officials congratulated him for doing so.
The IPC said Iran withdrew because the team were unhappy about "the draw proposed for the crossover round and subsequent schedule".
However, Paralympic officials said it had been made clear in the run-up to the Games that competition times could change for television broadcasts or other reasons.
As it was, the US advanced into the semi-finals with an automatic 20-0 win over Iran. The Americans will meet Canada, who beat Israel 55-47.
Irish supporters in the Water Cube celebrated a fourth medal in these games as the young Gorey swimmer McDonald added his silver to Smyth's gold in the 100 metres, Michael McKillon's 800 metres gold and Gay Shelly's bronze in the boccia competition.
McDonald qualified second-fastest for the final in the heats yesterday morning, swimming a personal best and new Irish record of 5:13.68.
He then lopped nearly four seconds off that record when he swam 5:09.75, earning him second place in his first Paralympics to reigning world champion Anders Olsson of Sweden, who swam a formidable 4:48.31.
"Coming here my objective was to make a final," McDonald said. "That was as close as I thought I would get to anything. I never thought I'd get this near this fast. I'm wrecked after that race, I have to say, I thought I'd have to be dragged out of it!"
He came in 10.7 seconds ahead of bronze medallist Matt Whorwood of Britain.
The seven-a-side football team beat China 4-1 in their classification match at the Olympic Green Hockey field to set up a fifth/sixth place play-off with Holland tomorrow after the Dutch defeated Britain 4-2.
Irish flag-bearer Patrice Dockery ran in the last event of her sixth and final Paralympic Games. Dockery finished sixth in her 200 metres (T53 Class) heat in 35.38.
"I gave it everything, I have no regrets," said the veteran, who has represented Ireland for 23 years on the international stage and is one of the country's truly great sportswomen.
