The Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport, multi-disability competition of elite, world-class, disabled athletes. Although similar in scope to the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games provide an elite competition opportunity to athletes with a functional disability, which precludes their involvement in open competition of the Olympic Games. Paralympic athletes go through rigorous training year-round to prepare for their respective events. They are the best of the best, who through determination and hard work, earn the honor of representing the United States on the competitive playing field at the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games are held approximately two weeks after the Olympic Games in the same host city/country.

The Paralympic Games are distinctly different than the Special Olympic World Games. The two, which are often confused as one in the same, are totally separate competitions. Each Games are developed by entirely different organizations which have different objectives. The Paralympic Games provide world-class competition for elite disabled athletes at the highest level. Much like Olympians, Paralympians compete for gold, silver and bronze medals against the best-disabled athletes in the world. Special Olympics International focuses on participation of everyone and involves athletes from ages 8 to 80 with mental retardation. All participants are considered winners and receive medals.

The first Paralympic Games was held in Rome, Italy in 1960. Four hundred athletes from 23 countries participated. Since its humble beginnings, the Paralympics has blossomed and grown in size and complexity. The Paralympic Games is part and parcel of the Olympic Games. The Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee organized the 1988 Paralympics to be held in the Olympic venues two weeks after the Olympic Games. Barcelona and Lillehammer followed suit hosting the summer and winter Paralympic Games respectively, utilizing a similar time frame.

The 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games was held 10 days after the Centennial Olympic Games and boasted being the second largest sporting event in the world to date, second only to the Olympic Games. The Atlanta Paralympic Games saw 3,500 athletes and support staff from 104 countries compete in 17 full medal and 2 exhibition events.

The Sydney 2000 Games surpassed the Atlanta Games in both size and attendance. The Sydney Games opened on October 18, marking the start of 11 days of intense competition that brought together some of the world’s best disabled athletes. A record number of 3,912 athletes from 122 countries participated, making this the largest Games in Paralympic history.

Following the theme "Triumph of the Human Spirit," the Paralympic Games is proud of the tradition it has established to bring elite disabled athletic competition to the forefront of public consciousness. Competitive sports have proved to be an effective vehicle to promote equality, inclusion, accessibility and awareness about the capabilities of those with a physical disability. Competitive sports dispel the age-old stigma surrounding disabilities and illuminate the realm of possibility. The Paralympics truly signifies all that is right in sport.

Medals
In the 1992 Barcelona Games, 3,044 athletes competed. The United States sent 373 athletes that won 176 medals: 76 gold, 52 silver and 48 bronze to lead all countries. Germany finished second in the medal count with 171.

In the 1994 Lillehammer Games, 1,054 athletes competed. The United States sent 42 athletes and captured 43 medals: 24 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze to place third behind Germany and Norway with 64 each.

In the 1996 Atlanta Games, 3,500 athletes competed. The United States sent 318 athletes that won 157 medals: 46 gold, 46 silver and 65 bronze to lead all countries. Germany finished second in the medal count with 149.

In the 1998 Nagano Games, 571 athletes competed. The United States sent 56 athletes that won 34 medals: 13 gold, 8 silver and 13 bronze to place sixth in the medal count.

In the 2000 Sydney Games, 3,912 athletes competed. The United States sent 250 athletes that won 109 medals: 36 gold, 39 silver and 34 bronze to take third place in the medal count behind Australia with 149 and Great Britain with 131.

In 2004, more than 500 American disabled athletes and coaches participated in the Athens Paralympic Games, the pinnacle of international competition for people with physical disabilities and the second largest athletic competition of any kind in the world. Team USA was represented by 34 blind and visually impaired athletes, of which, 20 brought home medals for the United States. The sport of goalball was recently dominated by European nations, but during the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, the U.S Men’s Team won the bronze medal while the U.S. Women’s Team brought home the silver, their best finishes in sixteen years.

The United States Association of Blind Athletes, a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is a non-profit organization that provides training for blind and visually impaired athletes for competition in nine sports. USABA members range from blind children developing sports skills to elite athletes who train for competitions such as the Paralympic Games, which continually draws more than 4,000 disabled athletes.