Paralympics

Paralympics are international multi-sport events for athletes with disabilities, held after the Olympic Games in the same host city and organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The Games include Summer and Winter editions, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world competing in dozens of sports using adapted equipment and rules.

The Paralympic movement originated in the post-World War II era when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized sport for injured servicemen; the first official Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960. Over the following decades, participation expanded to athletes with a broader range of impairments and the IPC was established to govern the movement in 1989. Since the 1990s, the Summer and Winter Games have been aligned with their Olympic counterparts in host city selection, timing, and venues, with a formal classification system to group athletes by the impact of their impairment on performance.

Events and classification: Athletes compete in sport-specific classes determined by impairment type and degree. The program covers traditional sports like athletics, swimming, wheelchair basketball and rugby, archery, cycling, powerlifting, table tennis, boccia, goalball for visually impaired athletes, and others. Winter sports include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, para ice hockey, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling. Competition is governed by IPC rules and sport-specific international federations; qualification standards are set by national teams and the IPC, with testing for doping and fair play measures.

Impact: The Paralympics have raised awareness of disability sport, promoted inclusion and accessibility, and increased media coverage and sponsorship for athletes with disabilities. They attract a global audience and serve as a platform for demonstrating athletic achievement and competitive sport.