Summer Paralympics

The Summer Paralympic Games - also known as the "Games of the Paralympiad" or simply the Paralympics - is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in a range of sporting disciplines. Athletes with mobility disabilities, muscle power impairment, amputations, visual impairment, intellectual impairment, short stature, cerebral palsy, and many more disabilities compete every 4 years in the competition which is either alongside or directly after the Summer Olympic Games in the same host city.

The games are a test of enduring spirit and sheer strength and resilience. Paralympians highlight the passion behind the motto for the competition; "spirit in motion".

📜 Summer Paralympics History

The Summer Paralympics began in 1960 in Rome, Italy after the popularity of the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. The Games have expanded and grown in popularity with many countries around the world sending athletes.

💯 Summer Paralympics Format

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) oversees the Summer Paralympics with the host country organising their respective Games. Medals are awarded in each event: with gold medals for first place, silver for second, and bronze for third.

There is a classification system to ensure each athlete receives a fair result. There are 10 disability categories, each with its own classifications depending on how much a disability might impact an athlete's skill in a sport:

• Impaired muscle power
• Impaired passive range of movement
• Limb deficiency
• Leg length difference
• Short stature
• Hypertonia
• Ataxia
• Athetosis
• Vision impairment
• Intellectual impairment