Brief History of the Paralympic Games
The origin of the Paralympic Games dates back to 1948 when Sir Ludwig Guttman staged the International Wheelchair Games to coincide with the 1948 London Olympic Games. The event gradually grew, encompassing other sports and other disability groups, and now the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games are the ultimate international competitions for world class athletes with a disability. The Paralympic Games are governed, internationally, by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The present explanation for “Paralympic” is that it derives from the Greek work “para” meaning “beside” or “alongside” and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games.
The Paralympic Games are now linked in conjunction to the Olympic celebrations every two years and athletes must meet strict qualifying standards in order to compete. The Paralympic Games have taken place at the same venues as the Olympic Games since the Seoul 1988 Summer Games in South Korea and the Albertville 1992 Winter Games in France. On June 19, 2001 an agreement was singed between the IOC and the IPC securing this practice for all future Games. From the 2012 bid process onward, the city chosen to host the Olympic Games will be obliged to host the Paralympic Games as well. London, England will host the Summer Paralympics in 2012 and Sochi, Russia will host the Winter Paralympics in 2014.
Canada has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games since Tel Aviv, Israel in 1968; missing the first two Paralympic Games in 1960 and 1964 (Rome and Tokyo, respectively). Canada has always been a world leader in sport for athletes with a disability finishing among the top 10 of competing nations at every Paralympic Games where Canada has competed. The first Winter Paralympic Games were held in 1976 in Sweden.
The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler will mark the first time in history that Canada has hosted a Paralympic Winter Games. In 1988 when Calgary hosted Canada’s first Olympic Winter Games, the Paralympic Winter Games were held in Innsbruk, Austria.
Although this will be Canada’s first Winter Games as host, it is not the first time Canada has hosted a Paralympic Games. In 1976, Canada hosted the Summer Paralympic Games in Toronto which was where, for the first time since the inception of Paralympic Games, visually impaired athletes and amputees competed.
Paralympic Winter Sports
There are 5 sports on the program for the 2010 Winter Games. These include: Ice Sledge Hockey, Wheelchair Curling, Alpine Skiing, and Nordic which includes Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing.
Today, the Paralympics are elite sport events for athletes from six different disability groups. They emphasize, however, the participants’ athletic achievements rather than their disability. The movement has grown dramatically since its first days. The number of athletes participating in Winter Games has increased from 250 athletes from 16 competing nations in Sweden to 490 athletes from 39 competing nations in Turin, Italy. In 2010, it is expected that there will be approximately 1,350 athletes, coaches and officials from 40 competing nations in 64 separate medal events.
