2012 London Summer Paralympic Games: News and Facts

Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Aug 2026

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics

Synopsis

Explore the 2012 London Summer Paralympics, the 14th Paralympic Games, including sports, venues, disability classifications, and event information in England.

At a Glance

• 1 - Twenty sports were on the London 2012 Paralympic program.
• 2 - There were 1.6 million tickets available, with a predicted sell-out rate of 63 percent.
• 3 - London 2012 was the first Paralympic Games staged in the city, since the event was created after London last hosted the Olympics in 1948.
• 4 - These were the first Games since Sydney 2000 in which athletes with intellectual disabilities were permitted to compete, following a 2008 IPC decision.

Topic Definition

Paralympic Disability Classification

Paralympic disability classification is the structured system used to group athletes with disabilities so that competition remains fair and is decided by skill rather than the degree of impairment. At the London 2012 Games, participants were placed into five broad categories: cerebral palsy, visual impairment including blindness, wheelchair athletes, amputation whether congenital or caused by injury or illness, and les autres, which covers physical disabilities that do not fit the other groups, such as dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. On top of these categories, each sport applies its own classifications based on its physical demands, and events carry a code of numbers and letters that describes the event type and the class of athlete competing. Some sports, such as athletics, separate athletes by both category and severity, while others, such as swimming, combine categories and divide competitors only by severity.

Overview

The 2012 Summer Paralympics, the fourteenth Summer Paralympic Games, and also more generally known as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), that took place in London, England from 29 August to 9 September 2012.

The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee.

In 2012 the Games were held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games. There were 1.6 million tickets available for the various events, with a predicted sell-out rate of 63%.

Even though 2012 will be London's third Olympic Games, it will be the first Paralympic Games to be staged there, as the event was created after the last time the city hosted in 1948.

The bulk of the Paralympic venues are set in two zones, the Olympic Park Zone and the River Zone. The two zones are within 15 minutes of each other, minimizing travel times and disruption for Paralympians.

• Olympic Park will contain the main athletics stadium, where the athletics and opening and closing ceremonies will take place.
• The Hockey Center will host seven-a-side and five-a-side football.
• Velopark will host track cycling.
• Eton Manor will be the archery and wheelchair tennis venue.
• Three indoor arenas will host wheelchair rugby, goalball, wheelchair basketball, judo, and wheelchair fencing.
• The Aquatics Center will host swimming. The athletes' village is also set within the Park, as are the Main Press Center and the International Broadcast Center.

The River Zone will see a lot of action:

• ExCeL will host boccia, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball and table tennis.
• ExCeL will also host sitting volleyball.
• Greenwich Park will host equestrian, providing a stunning backdrop.
• The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich will host shooting.

The 2012 Paralympic Games in London will have 11 events at the main Olympic Park in Stratford including athletics, wheelchair rugby, goalball, wheelchair fencing, archery, swimming, table tennis, 7 a side and 5 a side football, track cycling plus wheelchair tennis. Powerlifting, judo, wheelchair basketball, boccia, sitting volleyball will all take place at the nearby ExCeL Center venue, equestrian events will be at Greenwich Park and shooting events will be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

The UK is busy preparing for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, including plans for the Olympic Park, transportation, sustainability, ceremonies, technology, security, ticketing and accommodation.

The London Olympic Stadium will be the centerpiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The stadium will be located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and will have a capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000. Land preparation for the stadium began in mid-2007, with construction beginning in mid-2008 and completion scheduled for mid-2011.

The International Olympic Committee says that London 2012 will enable England to provide facilities and services for elite athletes, as well as encouraging participation in sport after the 2012 Games are over. The Olympic Park in East London "will become a model of social inclusion, opening up opportunities for education, cultural and skills development and jobs for people across London and Great Britain"

London 2012 will encourage active participation, involving people in a whole range of Games activities from community activities and volunteering to sporting and cultural events. It will inspire young people and connect them to sport by putting the inspirational values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the school curriculum.

Twenty Sports were on the Program

• Wheelchair basketball
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Wheelchair rugby
• Wheelchair tennis
• Football 5-a-side
• Football 7-a-side
• Archery
• Athletics
• Boccia
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Goalball
• Judo
• Powerlifting
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Volleyball

The purpose of London 2012 is to deliver accessible and inclusive designs for all facilities, maximize media coverage and strengthen the Paralympic Movement. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of every athlete's career. London 2012 will strive to provide conditions that enable the athletes to compete in an environment of excellence, friendship, and enjoyment.

The 2012 London Paralympics will also be the first Games since the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney in which athletes with intellectual disabilities will be authorized to compete, following a decision by the International Paralympic Committee in 2008.

World-class venues and a world-class transport system will be essential to the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Disability Classifications

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories;

• Cerebral palsy;
• Visual impairment, including blindness;
• Wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories;
• Amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness;
• Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis.

Each Paralympic sport then has its 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where were the 2012 Summer Paralympics held

The 2012 Summer Paralympics were held in London, England, with venues spread mainly across the Olympic Park Zone and the River Zone.

When did the London 2012 Paralympics take place

The games ran from August 29 to September 9, 2012, following the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the same host city.

Why do Paralympic events use letters and numbers in their codes

Event codes combine letters and numbers to describe the type of event and the classification of the competing athletes, which helps ensure athletes race against others with a similar level of impairment.

What is boccia at the Paralympic Games

Boccia is a precision ball sport, related to bowls, played by athletes with impairments that affect motor skills, and competitors aim to place their balls closest to a target ball.

Who governs the Summer Paralympic Games

The International Paralympic Committee governs the Paralympic Games and works with the local organizing committee and the IOC for each edition.

How do athletes qualify for the Summer Paralympics

Athletes qualify through their national bodies by meeting sport-specific standards and completing a classification process that groups them by the type and severity of their impairment.

Which city hosted the Summer Paralympics after London 2012

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosted the next Summer Paralympic Games in 2016, following London in 2012.

Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team.

Last updated: 2 Aug 2026