PARALYMPICS ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY

The Paralympic Games are the zenith of competition for elite athletes with physical disabilities. The fundamental philosophy guiding the Paralympic movement is that these world-class athletes should have opportunities and experiences equivalent to those afforded non-disabled athletes. In order to compete in the Paralympics, each athlete must meet strict qualifying standards and be selected to his or her national team.

International Paralympic Committee

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) currently resides in Bonn, Germany and is similar to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in form and function. It is an international non-profit organization established for the purpose of governing and developing the world's elite disabled athletes and the Paralympic Games. English is the IPCs primary language. The IPC is formally recognized and funded, in part, by the International Olympic Committee. The IPC presides over five international federations representing 150 countries and 10,000,000 athletes worldwide.

History

The Paralympic Games were born of the vision of Sir Ludwig Guttman, an English neurosurgeon at Stoke-Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England, in 1948 when he organized the International Wheelchair Games to coincide with the 1948 London Olympics. This first effort was symbolic; a deliberate attempt to connect the Olympics and the Paralympics was not made again until 1960, when the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, just a few weeks after the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the first years, only wheelchair athletes competed.

Four hundred athletes from 23 countries joined together on that glorious day in Rome. The Paralympic Movement was created, and Pope Paul who declared, "You are the De Coubertin of the paralyzed" saluted Sir Guttman Since then, the two events have shared cities four times (Tokyo 1968, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996) and countries three times (Germany 1972, Canada 1976 and United States 1984). The XIth Paralympic will be celebrated in Sydney in 2000.

As the Paralympic Movement grew, other classes of athletes began to participate, including amputees, the blind and those with cerebral palsy. In 1982, the International Coordinating Committee of World Sports Organizations for the Disabled (ICC) was established as a counterpart to the International Olympic Committee, with four international federations under its umbrella. In 1992, the ICC was restructured and became the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

In 1992 in Barcelona, 3044 athletes competed. The USA sent 373 athletes that won 176 medals: 76 Gold, 52 Silver, 48 Bronze to lead all countries. Germany finished second in the medal count with 171.

In 1996 in Atlanta, over 100 nations sent 3500 athletes to compete in 17 sports, and 2 demonstration sports during 10 days of competition. The USA sent 318 athletes that won 157 medals: 46 Gold, 46 Silver, 65 Bronze to lead all nations. Germany finished second in the medal count with 149. In terms of athlete services, the 1996 Paralympic Games was roughly one-third the size of the Olympics, with 1,000 coaches and team staff , 500 officials, technical personnel and the Paralympic Family and 15,000 volunteers.

In 2000 in Sydney, the games became the best attended, with over a million spectators, and most watched, with CBS coverage and webcasting by WeMedia. The USA fielded teams in sitting and standing men's volleyball. In Salt Lake City, Utah, the USA had it best ever winter results at the 2002 Winter Games.

Future Paralympic Games

The XII Paralympic Summer Games will be held in Athens, Greece, in September 2004.

The IX Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Torino, Italy in the 2006.

The XIII Paralympic Summer Games will be held in Beijing, China in 2008.

The X Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.