What have we learned from the Paralympic Games?

Why is the US comparatively poor at the Paralympics? It is not as though America ignores the Paralympics – it sends a large team and competes effectively in the pool, on the track and in sports such as wheelchair rugby. But sitting sixth in the medal table, as the US does as the Paralympics, is not a situation that would be countenanced in Olympic sport. There has been much debate around the lack of coverage in the US media and lack of profile for its Paralympic stars. That translates into a comparative lack of investment in the Paralympic team and talent ID and development. As they have faced the media after their races, athlete after athlete has expressed their hope that London will provoke a sea change in the attitude of the media and sponsors. Certainly, the charisma and talent of the likes of US sprinters Richard Browne and Jerome Singleton deserves to. Why is Ukraine so good? It's not a new phenomenon. Ukraine has punched above its weight at the Paralympics since Athens in 2004. Valeriy Sushkevych, a disabled former swimmer turned politician, is credited as the architect of its success – arguing for a separate budget for Paralympic sport. Ukraine established a national Paralympic centre in 2002 and Sushkevych remains president of the Paralympic Committee. That investment, which also manifests itself in huge bonuses that will amount to £1m if its cerebral palsy seven-a-side football team retain their title in London, helped the country to sixth in the medal table in Athens and fourth in Beijing. Why does the British Paralympic team appear less diverse than its Olympic counterpart Team GB? Neither the British Olympic Association nor the British Paralympic Association compile statistics on the demographics or ethnicity of its teams. But analysis by the Guardian's Data Blog suggests that the proportion of black and ethnic minority athletes on the 300-strong Paralympic team is around 6%. That is marginally under the national average of 8%, according to the 2001 census. It is only on the track that the contrast with the Olympics is noticeable – and that is partly because in non-disabled track and field competition, BME athletes are over-represented compared to the wider population. There are various theories as to why that might be, but the most persuasive is that many athletics clubs have long-standing links with urban communities in which they are based and better-developed talent ID schemes. The route into disabled sport tends to be different. Why is Britain so good at dressage? Britain dominated the podium in Greenwich Park, finishing top of the medal count with 11, including seven golds. It also delivered some of the standout memories of the Paralympics, with Sophie Christiansen leading the way with three golds. Britain's dominance over recent years is personified by dressage rider Lee Pearson, who added a medal of each colour to his existing haul of nine golds and must take some of the credit for encouraging others to follow in his wake. Another big part of the reason for success is the role of the national charity Riding for the Disabled. Many of Britain's Paralympic medallists started riding at their local Riding for the Disabled Centres, and it has a developed talent pathway to feed riders to the British Equestrian Foundation, which is also one of the most enlightened and integrated governing bodies when it comes to for developing talent. Performance manager David Hunter has expressed hopes that the display in London will inspire yet more riders into the sport. But, as elsewhere in Paralympic sport, he has warned that rival nations are catching up fast.