What are the Paralympics? The Paralympic Games or the Paralympics are the biggest games for disabled athletes in the world. It’s held every two years, with a variation of summer and Winter Games. Although the event doesn’t garner the kind of attention the Olympics gets, the athletes are increasingly getting the appreciation they deserve. If you’re wondering why you should care about this event, keep reading to learn more.
It’s Origins Go Back to Stoke Mandeville in England
When asking, “What are the Paralympic Games?”, it’s important to acknowledge its beginning. The beginnings of what evolved to be the Paralympic Games started in Stoke Mandeville, England. A doctor, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, worked with World War II British soldiers, injured during the Second World War.
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He relied on sports to help the injured servicemen recover mental and physical health. In 1948, he organized the first Paralympic Games, alongside the Olympics in London. They called it Stoke Mandeville Games because it took place there. Archery was the only event.
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The Games Received International Recognition in 1952
In the next edition of the games, Dutch servicemen joined, and the games received widespread popularity. In the subsequent years, more countries began to send their athletes to compete.
Its First Official Games Began In 1960 in Rome
In 1960, the Games took place for the first time in Rome. 400 athletes from 23 countries participated. In the first 15 Games, it didn’t have an opening ceremony and closing ceremony, but that changed in 1976. Sweden hosted the first Winter Paralympic Games.
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The Paralympic Games Have the Same Venues as the Olympics
The Paralympics kick off in the same city after every Olympic Games. The Olympics took place in Paris, France in 2024, and the Paralympics took place afterwards. It’s scheduled to run between 28 August and 8 September.
This arrangement has been in place since 1988, as a result of an agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
In fact, the term Paralympics suggests this. “Para” in Greek means “alongside”, meaning that they exist alongside the Olympic Games.
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Changes to the Paralympic Games Logo
The symbol of the Games, known as the Agitos, is a representation of the Paralympic movement. It borrowed its design from Tae-Geuk, a traditional Korean decorative motif.
Tae-Geuk, as per oriental philosophy, refers to the ultimate reality from which values and things come. The first logo consisted of five colors – blue, black, red, yellow, and green. This logo was first used in the 1988 Seoul, Korea Games.
Between 1994 and 2004, a different Tae-Geuk logo, with three colors was launched. After 2004, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) modernized the logo. They retained the three colors and made the design more circular.
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In 2019, the IPC further enhanced the appearance of the Agitos logo which is used until today.
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Each Sport Uses Different Classification
The classification system in Paralympics is meant to promote fairness. The classification system in Paralympics categorizes every athlete according to the extent of their eligible impairments. That said, every athlete in each category has similar functional abilities in movement, balance, and coordination.
Modification of Rules
In the Olympics, the basketball hoop is 3 meters above the ground. The same applies to Paralympic wheelchair basketball. This promotes the display of skill and requires enormous talent to execute.
As for tennis, the ball is allowed to bounce twice, as opposed to once in the Olympics. This takes into consideration the different dynamics of playing wheelchair tennis.
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There Are 549 Medal Events
At the 2024 Paralympic Games, there are 549 medal events. 4000 athletes compete in different disciplines. They are wheelchair rugby, para swimming, para archery, goalball, badminton, rowing, sitting volleyball, judo, para-cycling, table tennis, blind football, triathlon, boccia, equestrian, shooting, athletics, wheelchair basketball, taekwondo, para powerlifting, wheelchair fencing, canoe, and wheelchair tennis.
The Winter Paralympics hosts similar events to the Winter Olympics. These include cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and biathlon.
In Conclusion
If you were asking, “What are the Paralympics?”, we hope this article helps you to understand the origins of the games and their organization. These athletes demonstrate that disability isn’t an inability, and inspire millions of people around the world to pursue their dreams.
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