Paralympic Sports
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Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games are major international multi-sport events wherein athletes with physical disability compete( including those athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy). There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games which are held immediately following their respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The first Games were called the 1948 International Wheelchair Games, and were intended to coincide with the 1948 Olympics-the first organized athletic event for disabled athletes which took place on the day of the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville Hospital hosted a sports competition for British World War II veteran patients with spinal cord injuries. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability were organized for the first time in Rome in 1960, now called Paralympics.
The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. Since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games and the Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympic Games they have also taken place at the same venues as the Olympics. On 19 June 2001, an agreement was signed between the IOC and the IPC securing this practice for the future.
The first Games were called the 1948 International Wheelchair Games, and were intended to coincide with the 1948 Olympics-the first organized athletic event for disabled athletes which took place on the day of the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville Hospital hosted a sports competition for British World War II veteran patients with spinal cord injuries. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability were organized for the first time in Rome in 1960, now called Paralympics.
The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year as the Olympic Games. Since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games and the Albertville 1992 Winter Paralympic Games they have also taken place at the same venues as the Olympics. On 19 June 2001, an agreement was signed between the IOC and the IPC securing this practice for the future.
“Every Paralympic contestants are a great inspirations and model to many of us. Let's be inspired!”
London's Paralympic 2012
There are 20 sports in the Paralympic programme for London 2012, breaking down into disciplines and events.- Paralympic Archery - Paralympic Archery was originally developed as a means of rehabilitation and recreation for people with a physical disability.
- Paralympic Athletics - Athletics features more events and competitors than any other sport on the Paralympic programme.
Boccia - Played by wheelchair athletes with severe cerebral palsy and related neurological disorders, the sport is a test of muscle control and accuracy, demanding extreme skill and concentration at the highest level. Believed to have Ancient Greek origins, Boccia is played on a long, narrow court by individuals, pairs and teams.
- Paralympic Cycling (Road) - Today, the Paralympic Road Cycling competition features events for both individuals and teams. Competitors in different disability classes use bicycles, tricycles, tandems and handcycles, and are grouped together according to their functional ability.
- Paralympic Cycling (Track) - Track Cycling features events for both individuals and teams. Competitors in different disability classes use bicycles, tricycles, tandems and handcycles, and are grouped together according to their functional ability.
- Paralympic Equestrian - All Equestrian events at the Paralympic Games are mixed, with athletes grouped according to their functional ability. The competition consists of two Dressage tests: a Championship Test, made up of set movements, and a Freestyle Test, for which riders choose their own movements and music.
- Football 5-a-side - Two forms of football feature at the Paralympic Games, both of which use modified FIFA rules. The five-a-side game made its debut at Athens 2004. Played by visually impaired athletes, it uses a special ball that makes a noise as it moves.
- Football 7-a-side - The sport of 7-a-side Football is played by athletes with cerebral palsy. The sport is one of two forms of football on the Paralympic programme, and combines speed, agility and impressive ball skills.
- Goalball - Goalball is played by two teams of three visually impaired athletes on an indoor Volleyball court without the central net, with goals (9m wide, 1.3m high) at either end. The aim is to score by rolling the ball into the opposition's goal, while the opposing players attempt to block the ball with their bodies.
- Paralympic Judo - Judo is the only martial art on the Paralympic programme. Judo first featured on the Paralympic programme at Seoul 1988. Women's events were introduced 16 years later, at the Athens 2004 Games. The programme now features seven medal events for men and six for women, covering a range of weight categories.
- Powerlifting - Paralympic Powerlifting is a benchpress competition - the ultimate test of upper body strength. Powerlifters lower the benchpress bar to their chest, hold it motionless, and then press it upwards to arm's length while keeping their elbows locked. Each athlete has three attempts at each lift. There are ten different weight categories for both men and women. Powerlifting is one of the fastest growing sports for disabled athletes.
- Paralympic Rowing - Rowing is the most recent addition to the Paralympic programme. All races are held over a 1,000-metre course, and each national federation is only allowed to enter one boat in each event. As with its Olympic equivalent, Rowing races at the Paralympic Games are often exciting affairs.
- Paralympic Sailing - In Sailing at the Paralympic Games, modifications are made to the equipment in order to suit the athlete's functional ability. There are three medal events at the Games, featuring one, two and three sailors per boat.
- Paralympic Shooting - Shooting is a test of accuracy and control, in which competitors use pistols or rifles to fire a series of shots at static targets. Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto in 1976, when three events were held. Athletes with different disabilities now compete together in two classes - SH1, for athletes who can support the weight of their firearm themselves, and SH2, for athletes who use a shooting stand to support their arm.
- Paralympic Swimming - Swimming has been part of the Paralympic programme since the first Games in 1960, and now features up to 600 swimmers competing in nearly 150 medal events. The sport includes medal events in the same four strokes that feature at the Olympic Games (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke).
- Paralympic Table Tennis - Table Tennis has been part of the Paralympic programme since the first Games at Rome in 1960.Table tennis is fast, fun, and easy to learn and play. The British Table Tennis Association for People with Disabilities is always on the look-out for new players.
- Volleyball (Sitting) - Sitting Volleyball is a combination of Volleyball and Sitzball, a game of German origin. As with Olympic Volleyball, teams aim to hit a ball over a net and land it within the opposition's court. Teams have three hits before the ball has to pass to their opponents' side of the net.
- Wheelchair Basketball - Played by two teams of five, the dynamic sport is played to rules that are broadly similar to Basketball, with the same size court and basket height. Wheelchair Basketball was part of the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and has been an integral part of the programme ever since.
- Wheelchair Fencing - The sport of Wheelchair Fencing consists of three disciplines: Epee, Foil and Sabre. Participants compete in wheelchairs clamped into a metal frame. This gives the fencer maximum upper body movement along with full confidence that the chair will not move or tip over.
- Wheelchair Rugby - Wheelchair Rugby combines elements of basketball, handball and ice hockey. Wheelchair Rugby first appeared in the Paralympic Games at Atlanta in 1996, when it featured as a demonstration sport. Its first appearance as a medal event followed at Sydney in 2000, when the US beat Australia 32-31 in a thrilling gold medal match.
- Wheelchair Tennis - The Wheelchair Tennis competition consists of six medal events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, quad singles and quad doubles. The quad events, introduced at the 2004 Games, are for players affected in three or more limbs. Wheelchair Tennis is a fast-growing participation sport in the UK, and British players are among the best in the world.
Countdown to London 2012 Paralympic Game
London 2012 Paralympic Game: August 29, 2012
Paralympic Sports Games
New Guestbook
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earthybirthymama
Jan 30, 2012 @ 4:00 pm | delete
- Great lense. Thank you for the information. My daughter hopes to get there someday.
Cheers
Grace
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ProgressiveTrainingSystems
Jan 29, 2012 @ 1:20 pm | delete
- Excellent work!
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Frischy
Jun 7, 2011 @ 7:34 pm | delete
- Very interesting! I work at a school for blind children, and several of our recent graduates have gone to the paralympics recently. Thank you for this nice lens that gives a general introduction to the paralympics.
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urn07 Jun 8, 2011 @ 2:23 am | delete
- Hi Frischy!:-) Thanks, I appreciate your work with the kids. May you be more blessed for that!!
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ProserinSytropin
Jan 13, 2011 @ 8:32 am | delete
- Very informative post! I love it! :-)
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by urn07
Hi there! Please check on my new update posts, and make your own notes for me. Thank you and have a great day to everyone :-)
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