Everything about Paralympics totally explained
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 World Games, 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, the word Paralympic was originally a
portmanteau combining 'paraplegic' and 'Olympic'.
History
Sir
Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition in
1948 which became known as the
Stoke Mandeville Games, involving
World War II veterans with
spinal cord injuries; in
1952 competitors from the
Netherlands took part in the competition, giving an international notion to the movement. The first Olympic-style games for athletes with a disability were held in
Rome in
1960; officially called the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, these are considered to be the first Paralympic Games. The first Winter Paralympics were held in
Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in
1976., athletes with intellectual difficulties were suspended indefinitely by the IPC. The IPC has stated that it'll re-evaluate their participation following the
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Summer Games
Summer sports
The following sports are currently on the Summer Paralympic Games programme:
These sports will be part of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
The following sports are not included in the Summer Paralympic Games program, but are governed by the IPC:
Bowls
Wheelchair dance sport
Winter Games
Winter sports
The following sports are on the current Winter Paralympic Games program:
Alpine skiing
Ice sledge hockey
Nordic skiing
Wheelchair curling
Disability categories
Amputee: Athletes with a partial or total loss of at least one limb.
Cerebral Palsy: Athletes with non-progressive brain damage, for example cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar disabilities affecting muscle control, balance or coordination.
Intellectual Disability: Athletes with a significant impairment in intellectual functioning and associated limitations in adaptive behavior. (This category is currently suspended.)
Wheelchair: Athletes with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities which require them to compete in a wheelchair.
Visually Impaired: Athletes with vision impairment ranging from partial vision, sufficient to be judged legally blind, to total blindness.
Les Autres: Athletes with a physical disability that doesn't fall strictly under one of the other five categories, such as dwarfism, multiple sclerosis or congenital deformities of the limbs such as that caused by thalidomide. (The name for this category comes from the French for the others).
These categories apply to both summer and winter Paralympics.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Paralympics'.
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