2012 London Summer Paralympic Games: News and Facts
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Nov 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 - About 2.7 million tickets were sold, a record for the Paralympic Games at that time.
- 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, known as London 2012, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). They took place in London, England, from August 29 to September 9, 2012.
A record 4,243 athletes (2,741 men and 1,502 women) from 164 countries competed in 503 medal events across 20 sports, and a record 2.7 million tickets were sold [International Paralympic Committee, n.d.]. Fifteen National Paralympic Committees competed for the first time.
London had hosted the Olympic Games twice before, in 1908 and 1948, but 2012 was the first time the city hosted the Paralympic Games, which were created after London last hosted the Olympics.
Venues
Most Paralympic venues were in two zones, the Olympic Park Zone in Stratford and the River Zone, within about 15 minutes of each other, which kept travel short for athletes:
- The Olympic Stadium hosted athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies. It held about 80,000 spectators during the Games.
- The Olympic Park also had the Aquatics Centre for swimming, the Velodrome for track cycling, the hockey venue for 5-a-side and 7-a-side football, Eton Manor for wheelchair tennis, and indoor arenas for sports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and goalball. The athletes' village and the main press and broadcast centers were also in the Park.
- In the River Zone, the ExCeL center hosted indoor sports including boccia, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, and table tennis.
- Greenwich Park hosted equestrian events, and the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich hosted shooting.
After the Games, the Olympic Park was reopened as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with its venues, homes, and public spaces meant to leave a lasting legacy for East London.
Twenty Sports were on the Program
- Archery
- Athletics
- Boccia
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Football 5-a-side
- Football 7-a-side
- Goalball
- Judo
- Powerlifting
- Rowing
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Sitting volleyball
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Wheelchair basketball
- Wheelchair fencing
- Wheelchair rugby
- Wheelchair tennis
London 2012 was also the first Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000 in which athletes with intellectual disabilities could compete, following a decision by the International Paralympic Committee in 2008. The organizers aimed to deliver accessible and inclusive venues, wide media coverage, and a stronger Paralympic Movement.
Paralympic Disability Classifications
At London 2012, every participant was grouped into one of five broad disability categories:
- Cerebral palsy
- Visual impairment, including blindness
- Wheelchair athletes, a group that often overlaps with other categories
- Amputation, whether congenital or caused by 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 own classes, based on the physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, that describes the type of event and the class of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and the severity of their disabilities, while others, such as swimming, group competitors from different categories together, separating them only by the severity of their 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.
Which country won the most medals at London 2012?
China topped the medal table at London 2012 with 95 gold medals and 231 medals in total, while Russia was second and host Great Britain third. More than 4,200 athletes from 164 countries took part.
References
- International Paralympic Committee. (n.d.). London 2012.
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team. Last updated: