The physics of wheelchair basketball, from a Paralympian

Published: Sept. 17, 2024, 7 a.m.

Patrick Anderson is widely recognized as the greatest wheelchair basketball player of all time. He's represented Canada at the Paralympics six times and led his team to win three gold \u2014 and one silver \u2014 medals. But since he first started playing in the 1990s, the sport has changed dramatically. He says that's due in part to the technological innovations in wheelchair athletics. In this episode, guest host Andrew Mambo chats with Patrick about the reasons for these changes. They also cover the origin of the sport, how the innovations that have changed gameplay and the rising popularity of wheelchair basketball around the world. Plus, the commonality between sport wheelchairs and stance cars.

Interested in hearing more about the science behind sports? Email us at shortwave@npr.org \u2014 we'd love to hear your feedback!

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