Paralympic Games: Information, News and Events

Author: Disabled World
Updated/Revised Date: 2022/08/21
Contents: Main - Subtopics - Publications

Synopsis: The Paralympic Games are multi-sport disability events for athletes with physical, mental and sensory disabilities. The Paralympic Games are held every four years following the Olympic Games and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) - (The Paralympic Games are sometimes confused with the Special Olympics, which are only for people with intellectual disabilities.) The name derives from the Greek "para" ("beside" or "alongside") and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games. No relation with paralysis or paraplegia is intended. However, Paralympic was originally a portmanteau combining 'paraplegic' and 'Olympic.'

Main Document

The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities. This includes mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) - (The Paralympic Games are sometimes confused with the Special Olympics, which are only for people with intellectual disabilities.)

There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. The International Paralympic Committee governs all Paralympic Games (IPC).

Continued below image.

The logo of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) since 2004.
The logo of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) since 2004.
Continued...

When did the Paralympic Games First start?

The Paralympics started in 1948 when Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition involving World War 2 veterans with spinal injuries. Afterward, a similar event was organized in Toronto, Canada, where different disability groups were added, and the idea of merging and participating in athletic sports was a success.

The name derives from the Greek "para" ("beside" or "alongside") and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games. No relation with paralysis or paraplegia is intended. However, Paralympic was originally a portmanteau combining 'paraplegic' and 'Olympic.'

The number of athletes participating in the Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 athletes from 23 countries in Rome in 1960 to 3806 athletes from 136 countries in Athens in 2004.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions.

The Summer and Winter Paralympic Games are the ultimate international competitions for world-class athletes with a disability. They are linked to the Olympic celebrations every two years, and athletes must meet strict qualifying standards to compete.

Paralympic Medals Now Make a Sound When You Shake Them

Winning Paralympic athletes are now presented medals filled with tiny steel balls, which allow a Paralympian with visual impairment to experience their win aurally by shaking them.

The number of balls increases by place;16 for bronze, 20 for silver, and 28 for gold, so each 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medal makes a different sound.

Paralympic medals have featured braille before, and the shakeable medal helps make the Paralympic games even more accessible to all athletes with disabilities.

Disability Category Definitions for Paralympic Games

(These categories apply to both summer and winter Paralympics.)

Winter Paralympic Games:
1976 Winter Paralympics - Ornskaldsvik, Sweden
1980 Winter Paralympics - Geilo, Norway
1984 Winter Paralympics - Innsbruck, Austria
1988 Winter Paralympics - Innsbruck, Austria
1992 Winter Paralympics - Albertville, France
1994 Winter Paralympics - Lillehammer, Norway
1998 Winter Paralympics - Nagano, Japan
2002 Winter Paralympics - Salt Lake City, United States
2006 Winter Paralympics - Turin, Italy
2010 Winter Paralympics - Vancouver, Canada
2014 Winter Paralympics - Sochi, Russia
2018 Winter Paralympics - Pyeongchang, South Korea
2022 Winter Paralympics - Beijing, China
2026 Winter Paralympics - Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
2030 Winter Paralympics - To Be Announced
Summer Paralympic Games:
1960 Summer Paralympics - Rome, Italy
1964 Summer Paralympics - Tokyo, Japan
1968 Summer Paralympics - Tel Aviv, Israel
1972 Summer Paralympics - Heidelberg, West Germany
1976 Summer Paralympics - Toronto, Canada
1980 Summer Paralympics - Arnhem, Netherlands
1984 Summer Paralympics - Stoke Mandeville, UK - New York, US
1988 Summer Paralympics - Seoul, South Korea
1992 Summer Paralympics - Barcelona, Spain
1996 Summer Paralympics - Atlanta, United States
2000 Summer Paralympics - Sydney, Australia
2004 Summer Paralympics - Athens, Greece
2008 Summer Paralympics - Beijing, China
2012 Summer Paralympics - London, United Kingdom
2016 Summer Paralympics - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2020 Summer Paralympics - Tokyo, Japan (Held in 2021 due to COVID-19 World Pandemic)
2024 Summer Paralympics - Paris, France
2028 Summer Paralympics - Los Angeles, United States
2032 Summer Paralympics - Brisbane, Australia

Subtopics


👍 Share This Information To:
𝕏.com Facebook Reddit

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is an independent disability community founded in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. See our homepage for informative reviews, exclusive stories and how-tos. You can connect with us on social media such as X.com and our Facebook page.

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/sports/paralympics/">Paralympic Games: Information, News and Events</a>

Cite This Page (APA): Disabled World. (2022, August 21). Paralympic Games: Information, News and Events. Disabled World. Retrieved March 19, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/sports/paralympics/

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified professional medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.