The Paralympic Games have grown in scope and stature ever since their first official competition took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960.
At the first Games, 400 participants from 23 countries competed in eight sports: archery, athletics, darts, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing, and wheelchair basketball.
The Paralympic Games were not always known as such. The event in 1960 was the 9th International Stoke Mandeville Games. The event was formerly known as the "Olympiad for the Physically Disabled," "Olympics for the Disabled," and "International Games for the Disabled," but it has been known as the "Paralympic Games" since 1988.
Although the Olympics and Paralympics have always had close relations, an agreement between the IOC and the Paralympics was reached in 2001.
The first Winter Paralympic Games (then known as the First Winter Olympic Games for the Disabled) were held in rnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976, 16 years after the first Summer Paralympic Games. A total of 16 countries participated, with 53 competitors, with events for visually impaired athletes and amputees, as well as an ice sledge racing demonstration event. West Germany received the most medals.
The World Federation of Ex-servicemen established the International Working Group on Sport for Disabled in 1960 to explore the difficulties of sport for people with disabilities. This resulted in the establishment of the International Sport Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) in 1964, which provided chances for disabled athletes who were unable to associate with the Stoke Mandeville Games. Athletes with vision impairment, amputees, those with cerebral palsy, and paraplegics were all involved. The organization worked hard to ensure that all impairments were included in international sports. Several other organizations were formed and worked together to build international events for athletes with impairments.
Finally, on September 22, 1989, the International Paralympic Committee was established as a non-profit international organization.
You must be logged in to post a comment.